


Under My Wing

by RosaKei



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: BUT romance isnt the main focus of this story., F/M, I can't think of what other tags eh, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, So basically Kakashi becomes Sarada's mentor, The Uchiha Family - Freeform, There will be romance, This is my first time writing a boruto fanfic so eh, some borusara, some sasusaku
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-18 12:37:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 38,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21660946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosaKei/pseuds/RosaKei
Summary: After her father had taken up Boruto as his student, Sarada begins to feel a little... at a loss. Sure, Sasuke still teaches her some things, like how he taught her that Fireball Jutsu. But unlike to Boruto, he isn’t her fulltime mentor. And now, she doesn’t know who to turn for guidance in mastering her Sharingan. That is, until the Sixth Hokage came along. (Might contain Manga Spoilers)
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Sarada, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sarada/Uzumaki Boruto
Comments: 58
Kudos: 202





	1. Out of Retirement

**Author's Note:**

> Please read end Notes!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick IMPORTANT Note, Please Read: This deviates slightly away from canon. I know by now in the manga, Sarada has three tomoes and by now, Kawaki should exist etc etc. I might introduce him later and so on. But yeah, I just want to explore this idea so yep haha :).

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Boruto nor its characters.**

* * *

It had almost been two years since Boruto Uzumaki started his training with Sasuke Uchiha.

In that time, it was irrefutable to say that the young Uzumaki had improved his abilities to a far extent, more than what most people would expect. Even Mitsuki, who would visit his parent's hideout every now and then for a _'simple'_ round of training, had been improving, his _Senjutsu_ , especially.

As for Sarada Uchiha, she had been making progress too. Except, she didn't think she was making enough progress to be on par with Boruto and Mitsuki. Though, she'd never admit that much to them. She would prefer to keep these sort of thoughts and insecurities to herself as of now.

After these two years, Sarada who was now at the age of thirteen, was dissatisfied with her current ability level. Because even after the two years of missions and strenuous trainings she had with Konohamaru and the rest of Team 7, and even with her father sometimes, she still had one tomoe in both of her Sharingan eyes. _She was dissatisfied with herself._

Sarada found herself walking around the training grounds, wanting to find a vacant spot to do some shuriken-related training. Supposedly, Konohamaru had been tasked to take her and her teammates off to another assigned mission today. However, he had unfortunately caught a bad case of flu. And the Seventh Hokage, being the kind man he is, gave him a break and reassigned the mission to another team.

 _Maybe I should go visit him later, with Boruto and Mitsuki._ Sarada thought.

Just then, she heard a familiar loud idiot-like yelp erupt. Finding herself growing worried bit by bit, she rushed towards the direction where that noise echoes, to only see that that idiot was just training with her father.

Hiding behind a bush that was quite a distance away, she disguised her presence as much as she could as she decided to stay and watch a little. She wondered if her father had noticed her presence, considering he had eyes that were much sharper than hers. And most of all, he had all three tomoes in his eyes. As for Boruto, she wasn't that concerned about him discovering her presence.

"Gahhhh! This is so hard!" He complained, sounding quite exhausted. From afar, it looked like they were practicing Shuriken-Jutsu. And it seemed like Boruto was having a hard time with his aim.

"You were able to properly aim all six shurikens at all six targets. No difference with eight of them. Weren't you able to do all eight accurately last time anyway? This isn't anything new." Sasuke replied, with a stoic tone that Sarada was anything but unfamiliar with it.

"Yeah, but we did do an extremely intense Ninjutsu training earlier! And I am feeling a little tired…" Boruto reasoned with a sigh, he hadn't had a break throughout this entire training session. Sarada knew her father was strict when it came to training with Boruto, so she could understand his exhaustion. But she also knew that even if he sounded as childish as he was two years ago, she knew that he had matured… at least, in _some_ aspects. Unlike last time when he ran off, thinking his Rasengan had failed, she knew if he failed again now, he wouldn't run away like last time. He would try again. He would not give up. So what he said next didn't surprise her.

"So you want to stop?" Sasuke scoffed.

Determination suddenly gleamed in his eyes as he quickly shook his head, taking out eight Shurikens. "Hell no!" He exclaimed.

As much as Sarada wanted to stay and even join them, she decided not to, even if she was planning to do some Shuriken training too. She didn't want to interrupt them. Besides, she was sure her father already had enough on his hands with Boruto already.

As she continued her walk to find another suitable spot, the conversation she had with her mother a few days ago began to flash in her mind.

* * *

"Why the sad face, Sarada? _He's_ coming back after another mission very soon for dinner today." Sakura beamed, before sitting next to her daughter on the couch. She had just finished making dinner. When Sarada didn't answer, she gave her a small nudge to snap her out of whatever deep thoughts she was having. "Did something happen with Boruto and Mitsuki or…?"

"No, Mama, nothing happened." Sarada offered a small smile. She was telling a half-truth, though. It was true that nothing serious happened between them at all, like arguments, fights and whatnot. But at the same time, it was also true that those two were a part of the reason why she seemed a little troubled.

She wondered if it was normal for someone of the Uchiha Clan to _not_ have at least two tomoes in their eyes by now. She had wanted to ask her father about this for quite a while now, but she had been hesitant. After all, he always seemed hesitant when it came to sharing anything about the Uchiha history.

All Sarada knew about her heritage was pretty much limited to the book she had read about it before, and even that book's full content about Sharingan and their users was restricted. And she wished she knew why. But at the same time, a part of her was afraid to know why.

"You know, you can tell me anything." Her mother's tone softened into something warm and gentle, it was a tone that never failed to soothe her. To say the bond between her and Sarada was strong, was a huge understatement. Sarada loved and cared for her mother dearly. The same went with her father, of course. Although for the most part, if she had any problems regarding her emotions, she seemed to turn to Sakura more often.

However this time, she decided to only tell her a little bit of her troubles, considering her father was more or less a factor for it. She didn't want to worry her, or her other parent. "I feel like I'm falling behind Boruto and Mitsuki." She admitted, "I mean, it's been more or less two years… and my Sharingan's still…" She began to trail off, but Sakura already heard enough to understand.

"You're still young." Sakura spoke softly, "You still have time to improve on your strengths. And Sarada, trust me, you _aren't_ falling behind. Konohamaru told me the other day that you're improving, he even said you're getting much better at chakra control and ensuring you won't—"

"Yeah, but still..." Sarada had cut her off, "It's just… the Sharingan, I… I don't know."

Sakura's eyes softened. She could undeniably empathise with her daughter. She once felt left behind, too. But, Sarada was anything but weak now—she was _much_ stronger than she ever was at her age. "You can always have Konohamaru to train you personally on your Sharingan."

"I did. But… I mean, he's not a Sharingan user. There's a limit on how much I can learn from him." Sarada reasoned. If she had the courage, she would've told her mother about how she envied Boruto ever since he became Sasuke's disciple. And then, she'd have told her why she never pestered her father too much on training her despite the fact he was the only present Sharingan user known to her—it was _because_ she didn't want to use up their family time for the sake of her training. It was _because_ she wanted her _Mama_ and _Papa_ to spend more time together, too. But she didn't. She didn't tell her.

The thing was, _she_ told her father that she was okay with him training with Boruto. She told him that she didn't mind. And despite her current emotions and thoughts, and as contradictory it might sound, she still stood by what she said. Maybe it was because of the glimmering enthusiasm in her childhood friend's blue eyes that made her unable to say that she didn't want him to train with him.

Besides, it'd do Boruto good to train with Sasuke. He was definitely improving vastly as a Ninja now. Admittedly, he still had that rash attitude of his, but ever since he trained under him, he was… well, less of an idiot. That was the best way Sarada could put it.

Plus, it wasn't as if her father didn't take some time to train her. He did teach her that Fireball Jutsu. It was just, unlike Boruto, she wasn't his fulltime disciple. She just wished…

"Sa-ra-da." Sakura spoke, "You—"

Sakura's sentence was cut off by the ring of the doorbell. Not wanting to keep whoever was waiting behind the door, she paused in her conversation with Sarada and went to open the door, revealing Sasuke.

After that, their conversation wasn't continued. And Sarada would now never know what Sakura was about to say to her, but she could guess that her mother who had her sharp motherly senses, had probably figured out the full reason of what had been troubling her.

Yet, she didn't continued their conversation. Instead, they spent what was left of that remaining day having dinner and doing some family bonding. To say the least, that family bonding did make her feel a little happier, and it had been enough to shoo off her concerns temporarily.

* * *

_This is a perfect spot._ Sarada thought, as she began to take out some of her shurikens.

Honestly, there was a part of her who did want to ask the Seventh Hokage—Naruto Uzumaki, to be her permanent mentor, considering she knew he was an extremely close friend of her father's. So surely, he must know more about it than Konohamaru, right?

But she knew The Seventh was busy enough with his duties as Hokage. Not to mention, Sarada wasn't so selfish that she'd steal any remaining free time from Naruto. She rather have him spend that time with Boruto and the rest of his family. She didn't have the heart to steal away their family time. She knew how much Boruto wanted to spend more time with his father, even if he never said it out loud.

She could've asked her mother, too. Sakura was _his_ wife after all. But she already seemed busy with her job at the hospital. Moreover, by the time she came home from work, she still had to do some household chores and make dinner. Sure, Sarada assisted her as much as she could, but there were days where she couldn't due to her trainings and missions. She'd come home to a tired Sakura most of the time. And she didn't want to exhaust her any further.

Although, maybe if one day Sakura was free and not tired, she might ask her if she could teach her some Medical Jutsu. Sarada had been growing a little interested in it recently. But, her main focus for now was her Sharingan, so it seemed.

 _I don't know who else to ask._ Sarada thought as she sighed quietly before throwing her shurikens at the target boards that were on the trees. And all of them had hit the target. _Maybe I should try it with the kunai._ She thought silently before taking out a pair.

However, just as she was about to throw, she sensed someone nearby. She then noticed she was being watched.

_How long had she been watched?_

Before she could turn around, she felt that someone approaching her from behind, getting closer. Not having the time to determine if the new presence was malicious or not, she quickly activated her Sharingan. Clenching onto her kunais tightly, she turned around swiftly, only to loosen her grip on her kunais as she realised who it had been watching her.

"Calm down." She hadn't seen him for quite a while. "It's just me."

Her red-coloured Sharingan eyes faded back to black as she watched the Sixth Hokage—Kakashi Hatake—approach her.

"T-The Sixth?!" She exclaimed, wondering what he was doing here, or rather, why he was watching her.

"Hello, Sarada. It's been a while since we last chatted like this." Although Sarada was unable to tell since he wore that mask, he was smiling a little.

It was just a nice feeling to see the daughter of two of the people he had once guided in Team 7, growing up well. He remembered seeing Sarada as a new-born child when Sasuke and Sakura had returned from a mission. He was glad that they returned safely, and was glad Sakura had been able to deliver her safely despite the fact she was on a mission.

It was just a touching feeling to see the old Team 7 he had guided, to have grown so much. The only bad thing that came out of them starting families and whatnot, was that he was referred as an _Uncle_ by Boruto. _Am I really that old?_ He had wondered at that time.

Well, unlike Boruto, Sarada never really called him Uncle. She often referred to him as The Sixth Hokage— _Rokudaime_ , if anything.

"What are you doing here all alone?" He queried.

"I was… practicing Shuriken-Jutsu… what about you? What are you doing here?" She questioned back, curious.

"Hm? Oh, I was searching for you." He answered, and before Sarada could ask another question he quickly continued. "I saw Sasuke not too far from here training with Boruto on Shuriken-Jutsu too. You could join them."

And that's when he saw the young Uchiha's eyes and even expression, soften into something along the line of sad. "I wouldn't want to interrupt them." She gave a weak smile.

 _It was just as Sakura said._ He thought, as he remembered the day she had approached him.

* * *

"I haven't seen you in a while Kakashi- _sensei_." Sakura had chuckled lightly.

Kakashi sighed lightly, "You know, I'm _technically_ not your sensei anymore."

"Don't say that." Sakura said, "To me, you'll always be Kakashi-sensei. Besides, you don't complain so much whenever Naruto and I call you that." She smirked a little.

"Yeah, yeah..." He rolled his eyes a little, thankful for the mask that hid the smile that had just formed on his lips. He didn't need anymore teasing. Although he had to admit, he was indeed quite happy that most of his students still referred to him as _'sensei'_ , even after when he had become the Sixth Hokage. "What did you call me out for, anyway?"

Kakashi was definitely caught off guard by what she had said. Although, before he could say anything, she continued. "Aside from Sasuke-kun, you're the only one who had the Sharingan after all."

 _Had._ He _was_ a Sharingan user, albeit not anymore.

"Of course, I know you're still the Sixth Hokage, who still has responsibilities, so you don't have to. It's just… even though Sarada has trained her hardest, she feels a little dissatisfied with herself, especially with the fact that she still only has one tomoe each in her eyes even after two years. And even though she doesn't say it out loud, I know she wants to at least train with someone who has experience with the Sharingan. But she doesn't want to bother her father more than she already does, since he already has Boruto to teach. She's… a considerate girl." Sakura sighed. It seemed like she really could read her daughter like an open book. Because what she said was true, even if Sarada never told her about it. "Of course, Sasuke-kun still teaches her new Jutsus every now and then, like that Fireball Jutsu. But he hadn't done so much recently with her, since he still has that mission and not to mention, his Boruto's mentor now."

Kakashi heaved a heavy sigh as he scratched the back of his head, "But why ask me? Aside from the Sharingan part, I'm sure Konohamaru is doing a great job, no?"

"That's true." Sakura sighed, "But it seems like she really wants to focus on that Sharingan of hers. Plus, you already know her dream, she wants to be the Hokage. No one else is better suited than you."

Kakashi thought about it for a while. As of now, he didn't have that much responsibilities as compared to Naruto who was probably still working at the Hokage's office. Granted, he still had some duties as the Sixth Hokage, especially since there was still that ongoing Otsutsuki issue. But, he wasn't so busy that he couldn't take in a student.

Plus, he knew Sarada had an immense amount of potential. She had inherited Sakura's strength and Sasuke's Sharingan. It would definitely be a waste if she didn't maximise her potential to its fullest. And to some extent, he could see what Sakura meant. The best way to master the Sharingan, was to have someone who had more experience with it, to teach the less experienced one.

_It wouldn't hurt becoming a sensei again, would it?_

Shrugging his shoulders as he heaved another heavy sigh, he groaned quietly, "I can't believe you're making me come out from my retirement as a sensei, Sakura."

* * *

" _Rokudaime?_ " Sarada called out when she noticed Kakashi had been spacing out. "Why were you looking for me? Did I do something wrong?" She asked, sounding a little worried.

Kakashi quickly shook his head, "No." He answered simply. "But you don't have to call me Rokudaime anymore. Starting from today, you'll be calling me _Kakashi-sensei_."

 _Eh?_ Sarada had always been intelligent, but still, it took her brain quite a while to process what he had just said. And when it did, only one word left her lips.

"EHHHHH?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Leave a Review!  
> Constructive Criticism is welcomed!


	2. It Rises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTES BELOW!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Boruto nor its characters.**

* * *

It was a few days ago when Sarada had confided in her mother about _some_ of the things that had been bothering her. Although, upon Sasuke's return from another one of his investigation related missions, that conversation regarding her troubles was discontinued as of now. Instead, a new conversation took place at their dining table as they ate dinner together. It was a normal family talk involving catching up with recent events. But it didn't touch on Sarada's present troubles. And whenever the young Uchiha felt like the topic was about to shift anywhere near to her personal emotions, she'd swiftly find a way to change it.

Soon enough with the day coming to an end, Sarada went to bed albeit earlier than usual. Her excuse was because she felt exhausted after running some errands that day (even though, in reality that wasn't the case). The real reason however, was because she wanted to avoid continuing the earlier conversation she had with her mother should she bring it up again. And now that Sasuke was back at home, she _especially_ didn't want to talk about it anymore since it did involve him.

She… just didn't want to be a bother to both her dear parents.

…

"Did something happen with Sarada?" was the first thing Sasuke had asked when he was sure that Sarada was asleep and when he was alone with Sakura, sitting next to her on their bed.

 _So he had noticed._ Sakura thought. "What makes you say that?" She asked back.

"When I came back home and took a glance at her while she was still sitting on the couch, she looked a little… sad." Sasuke didn't know how else to put it. "But then she changed her expression into something more… cheerful when she then went forward to welcome me home. And she's just… acting a bit different. Did she get into trouble…?"

"No, she didn't get into trouble." Sakura assured. "She's just… feeling a little left behind."

"' _Left behind'_?" Sasuke tilted his head slightly. In his eyes, Sarada was a strong and intelligent girl who possessed many talents. So he didn't really understand what she meant by _'left behind'_.

That's when Sakura began to elaborate further. She told him the things Sarada had told her. She told him about the dissatisfaction she had of the fact that despite all her hard work in the two years ever since she awakened her Sharingan, there was still only one tomoe in both her eyes. She also told him the things that Sarada didn't say out loud. It was just as Sarada had expected—that even if she didn't convey all her worries verbally, her mother could _almost_ always read her and see through her.

"I think she just envies the fact that you're Boruto's sensei, and that he is your pupil." Sakura said, "I don't know when this envy started. It didn't always seem to be like that. She was genuinely happy for Boruto in the beginning when you did take him in as your pupil after all. But maybe when her Sharingan wasn't evolving as fast as she had anticipated, she must have felt left behind when she saw her other teammates' progress. And then, envious that the only experienced and skilled Sharingan user known to her took in a non-Sharingan user as his pupil and disciple. I understand that you still do teach her new Jutsus from time to time, but there is a big difference, you know, between training someone occasionally, and taking in someone as your personal pupil."

Sasuke bit his lip slightly as he felt a familiar feeling rising within him as Sakura explained Sarada's troubles. _Guilt._ "So, I'm the one who made her have that look earlier…" He muttered to himself.

Sakura sighed softly, before her hand reached out for his, gripping it reassuringly. "Don't worry. I don't think she resents you for it. She could never truly resent you." She soothed, as if seeing through his own worries. "But, you have a reason for taking in Boruto, and not her, right?"

Sasuke's eyes trailed towards her hand which gripped his, before shifting it to entwine it with hers as he nodded. "Yeah."

He had told Sakura the reason before, but decided to reiterate it anyway. "Sarada's already strong. I am certain if she trains under Konohamaru for a while more, her Sharingan is bound to develop soon enough. Moreover, I have no doubt that Sarada is a smart girl. She already has a proper goal in mind, she is quick-witted, rational and more than anything, unlike that Boruto, she is mature."

Sasuke definitely had faith in his daughter. "She's already on the right path… I don't know how else I can guide her aside from teaching her some Jutsus every now and then…" Although, now that he thought of it, he realised that recently she hadn't really asked him to teach her any new Jutsus whenever he was around in the village. It had also been a while since he last taught her something new. At first, he assumed it was because she had been focusing on honing other skills that were taught by Konohamaru instead. But now that Sakura brought this up, he didn't think that that was the case anymore. After all, there must have been a reason why Sarada hadn't consulted him about _this_ —about her Sharingan at all, right? There must have been a reason why she hadn't ask him to teach her anything new for quite a while now, right? Was it because she didn't want to be a bother? Because she didn't want to be annoying?

Sasuke could only wonder how long she had been feeling this way.

"Then there's that loser's son," He continued, sighing quietly, "He first asked for my mentorship because he wanted to find out Naruto's weakness. That isn't a goal nor the mind-set a Ninja should have. Boruto has the potential to be a great Ninja if I manage to change that immature thinking of his and his immature ways. Gradually, he's realising the path he should take as a Ninja, the one that involves not finding out Naruto's weakness for the sake of pummelling him. He's also beginning to see the _other_ sides of Naruto and not just the one that he used to want to really pummel."

Sakura listened to him intently. When he finished speaking, she gave her response. "Mm… I can agree with you to a certain extent." She spoke, "But, you know, try to see a little from Sarada's perspective. Two years of training and going on missions, and her Sharingan is still yet to develop a second tomoe in both her eyes. Whereas in that span of two years, her two other teammates are showing clear development of their respective gifted abilities. For example, from what I heard, there's Mitsuki's getting better at handling his Senjutsu—his Sage Mode, and aside from Boruto's improvement with his Rasengan, there's also the recent discovery of his _Jougan_ which is bound to boost his strength once there is more knowledge garnered about it."

When Sakura was done talking, Sasuke undeniably had a lot of things to say, and had felt a lot of things as well— all of which, he was unable to articulate and describe. He wasn't good with words.

After a short pause, he managed to ask, "What should _I_ do?" His eyes then shifted its gaze to Sakura's green hues. He looked troubled and was at a loss of what to do now after discovering his daughter's worries. There were still many things he wanted to say and ask for her advice, but he found it difficult to convey it to proper words. And when he finally managed to voice out one of those thoughts, he found it to sound harsh and terrible.

"I _can't_ be her sensei."

He didn't mean for it to be harsh and terrible, though. He had his reasons and Sakura knew that. So she didn't ask him why. He had said enough and she had understood enough, even if he didn't say all the other things in his mind out loud. She could tell what he wanted to say and what he meant just from the way he had spoken, the expressions he made as he did, and the way he'd look at her as he talked. "If that is what you think, then there is no helping it." She said, and she didn't sound upset nor disappointed with his choice which did catch him a little off guard. He sometimes wondered if he deserved someone like her, someone who was able to understand what he really meant, even if he couldn't word it out properly.

"I have a suggestion." She offered softly, with a gentle and assuring smile. "I could ask Kakashi to be her _sensei_ instead."

His eyes widened as he heard her suggestion, he didn't expect that. _Kakashi?_

It didn't seem like a bad suggestion and idea, though.

* * *

Back in the present, Sarada—who had just found out that Kakashi was going to be her personal mentor, her _sensei_ —was still undergoing the stages of denial.

"Did… I hear you wrongly? What do you mean by _sensei_? And why _me_?"

"No, you didn't hear anything wrongly, starting from today, I'm going to be your personal mentor." Kakashi reiterated, finding her denial quite amusing.

"But why _me_?" She repeated, still in disbelief. "Moreover, you're the Sixth Hokage… I don't want to unnecessarily make your schedule busier than it probably already is."

Truly, Sarada was a considerate girl. Sakura wasn't wrong about that. "I heard from someone that you're having issues with mastering your Sharingan," Kakashi started. And already, Sarada knew who that someonewas— _her mother_. Of course _she_ would be able to read her worries and troubles like an open book. There was no running away from Sakura's discerning eyes when it came to her beloved daughter. Though now, she wondered if she had told her father about her unspoken thoughts and troubles. She'd rather have him not know about her own dissatisfaction about her abilities, her eyes… herself.

After all, Sasuke was already busy with his responsibilities as the Shadow Hokage for The Hidden Leaf Village— _Konoha_ —not to mention, he was also Boruto's mentor. And in addition all that, he still had the duties of a father and husband. The last thing she wanted was to be a bother to him, or worse, be a _pest_ to him so she kept her mouth shut. He already had enough on his shoulders.

"Also, I'm not the current Hokage anymore. Fortunately enough, unlike Naruto who's the Seventh, I don't have to deal with mountains and mountains of paperwork so often anymore." Kakashi spoke, a light-hearted laugh following after. "And although as the Sixth Hokage, I still have responsibilities from time to time, I'm not as busy as before. So rest assured, Sarada. As for your other question of _'why me'_ , Well…" He trailed off, thinking of the best way to say out his reasoning. Although, in the end he only shrugged and said, " _I just want to._ "

Sarada blinked her eyes in response. _Eh?_

The white haired male then turned away, beginning to walk off to another direction as he signalled for Sarada to follow. "Let's go to a more open space. I'd like to get a closer view of your current strengths and weaknesses."

"W-Wait!" The young Uchiha called out, she still had too many unanswered questions about the entire situation. Though there was one in particular that bothered her a bit more than the others. " _Why you?_ "

In that instant, Kakashi turned back, causing Sarada to instantly flinch despite the fact he wasn't exactly glaring at her even after she had asked something seemingly rude. Her hands immediately went up, waving in defence. "I-It's not that I'm underestimating you or anything like that! It's just…if I want to improve my Sharingan… then shouldn't—"

"I _was_ a Sharingan user." He said, cutting her off. And from his sudden serious tone that had risen and overtaken his earlier light-hearted one, the raven knew that he wasn't joking or lying to make her more accepting of him as her new _sensei_.

Kakashi took note of the shock and surprise that Sarada expressed once those words left his lips. It seemed like after the previous war, his famed nickname of _'Kakashi of the Sharingan'_ had died out overtime since he no longer had the Sharingan. So it wasn't a surprise to him when someone of the new generation, that being Sarada, found this fact to be something new. Moreover, there was also some history about the previous war and other sort of things that had been censored and kept hidden to the new generation and pretty much the public eye. For example, the full history of the Uchiha Clan was limited to the public.

They had their reasons for hiding certain bits of history, one of them being that they didn't want to incite anymore hatred. Admittedly, as time went by and as Sasuke atoned for his sins, most people no longer despised him for the deeds he had done in his corrupted past. But there was still a minority of people who didn't think that way, though they didn't lash out nor cause chaos due to the respect they had for Naruto who only wished for and wanted peace.

There were times where Kakashi wondered if keeping such things away from the new generation was an overall good decision, though.

Shrugging those thoughts away, he resumed his walk, expecting her to follow and expecting to receive an infinite bombardment of questions from her soon enough.

* * *

It had been an hour since Kakashi revealed to Sarada that he was an ex-Sharingan user, and her questions were still yet to be answered.

" _I will answer your questions after you demonstrate your current skills."_ That was his first answer to her several questions that she had listed out and bombarded him with during their walk to a more spacious training ground.

So within that hour, she had showcased her abilities in all the Jutsus she had learned and copied from. And by the time she had to display her skills in Kunai throwing, her lack of concentration was becoming more apparent to Kakashi when she missed the bullseye by a long-shot on her first throw.

It wasn't like Sarada to show a lack of concentration. But after she had found out that Kakashi used to have a Sharingan, too many thoughts began to cloud her mind. She was distracted and it was clear to Kakashi that whatever she was currently displaying to him most likely wasn't her at her best.

 _Maybe I should have told her that after I had assessed her._ He thought with a sigh as he watched her miss another target. _Regardless, as a Ninja she shouldn't lose concentration over any news, whether it be shocking or not… I can't blame her too much, though. But if this had been in a battlefield…_

"Sarada." Kakashi called out to her before she could throw another Kunai (and maybe even missing the target again), though in a stern way which was enough to make her flinch. " _Focus._ In a real battle, you can't lose concentration when your opponent tells you something shocking or disturbing. You will lose if you do."

"Y-Yes… sorry." She muttered. She felt frustrated with herself, she really did. Here she was, having the honour to be the Sixth Hokage's personal pupil and yet she was making a fool of herself in front of him right now.

She knew she should put aside the questions and other things that were currently pestering her after Kakashi said that he used to have the Sharingan. But she couldn't.

There was so little she really knew about the Uchiha Clan. Her knowledge of the Uchiha Clan was as limited as the book she read about it in the library a long time back. And now, today, she found out that a non-Uchiha had the Sharingan.

She was confused. And some thoughts of the past came barging in, distracting her.

There was a time when her curiosity about the Uchiha Clan had surfaced again. But when she asked her parents, her father especially, they always seemed to avoid the subject.

" _That's something your_ Papa _should tell you, Sarada."_ Her mother would say.

" _I'll tell you another time, when you're older."_ Her _Papa_ would say.

She tried to be understanding about it. But as time went by, she grew impatient. And in the end, she realised she didn't understand at all.

Alongside Team 7, she had saved several lives, she faced and fought threats to Konoha and she had survived deathly fights with those threats. And yet, she wasn't old enough to know the history of her _own_ clan?

She didn't get it. Was there something to hide? What was so bad about her clan's history to the extent that not only the book at the library was restricted from telling her, but even her own parents were just as restricted as that book in telling her anything?

And as time went by, the only thing she found out was that her father in particular, didn't seem like he really wanted to touch on that subject. At least not now. He was always… hesitant.

She didn't want to start an argument with him. So in the end, she stopped asking. But now with the new knowledge of the fact Kakashi had the Sharingan, she wondered if those questions would now be answered. If he was willing to share that he once had the Sharingan then maybe he'd also be willing to share the other things pertaining to the Sharingan and maybe some information about her clan… right?

_But then again, deep down she already knew that was… unlikely. After all…_

" _Stop thinking._ " She uttered to herself, cutting her own thoughts off as she tightly gripped onto her Kunai. "Now isn't the time to falter."

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes as she tried to calm herself. "Focus… focus…" She whispered quietly to herself before she opened her eyes, proceeding to throw her Kunai towards the target with great force and as much precision she could muster—but alas, it missed the bullseye… by only a millimetre.

 _Damn it._ She cursed in her mind, her fist clenching. _Even something this simple, I…_

"Sarada." Kakashi called out to her again, making her flinch again. She turned towards him, expecting to see a disappointed or stern expression which would be followed up by him saying he didn't want to mentor her anymore. She expected the worst, but that wasn't what she met with.

"Come here." He said in a calm tone as he signalled her over. And as instructed she walked over, albeit nervously. "Sit." He added as he took a seat down on one of the large logs lying about. "You're not in trouble, don't worry." And it seemed like he noticed her nervousness.

How could she _not_ be nervous? She was in the presence of the Sixth Hokage, who she just so happened to have messed up in front in the simplest form of training. Granted, she had met and spent time with Kakashi before when she was younger—but that was only as an _Uncle_. His presence as an Uncle was… light-hearted, there was nothing to be scared of from his aura. However, ever since after the announcement of him becoming her sensei and during the assessment of her abilities… she felt something different from him.

No longer was she in the presence of Uncle Kakashi, but instead she was in the presence of not only the Sixth Hokage, but also a highly-trained Ninja who was well-respected in the Ninja world. And the current aura of his that she felt was anything but light-hearted. She didn't know how to describe it other than the fact it was _overwhelming._ The last time she ever felt this overwhelming aura and even strength from him was probably back at the Academy, when he was the overseer for one of their exams.

She took a seat next to him. "I'm sorry I got distracted." She muttered, already recognizing her mistake. Kakashi took a brief glimpse at her, noticing the disappointment written all over her face. "As long as you correct it, it's fine." He replied.

A small gust of wind blew by as silence slowly diffused into the air. Though before it had the chance to make the atmosphere any more tense and nerve-racking, Kakashi broke the silence. "An old friend of mine gave me his Sharingan." He started as he looked up to the sky while Sarada turned her attention towards him. "He was an Uchiha, of course. And my teammate back during my younger days. Some things happened during one of our missions which had resulted in what I _thought_ was his early death, and then before he 'passed', he entrusted his Sharingan to me."

Even though Kakashi's tone had the same calm in it as he spoke about his past, Sarada could feel the sorrow and grief he had as he talked about his old friend. "But as you know I don't have the Sharingan anymore." Kakashi continued when she didn't respond. "It's a long story. But in short, I returned it back to him _after everything_. He's no longer around anymore."

"Oh… I… I'm sorry for your loss." Sarada muttered, in a sympathetic way. "I didn't think—"

"It's fine." He assured.

His words had answered some questions of hers, but it had also left her with more. Like, if that friend of his didn't pass away in the beginning, why didn't he take back his Sharingan sooner? What did Kakashi mean by 'long story'? What did he mean by 'after everything'? What was 'everything'? Did it have something to do with the previous war or… was it something more?

 _What happened?_ Sarada pondered.

And as if he read her mind, he continued. "That's all I can say right now." Kakashi said, internally reminding himself not to speak too much of the past—not to expose too much of the Uchiha clan. It wasn't his story to tell, right?

"In time, you'll understand everything." He added on, and he had hoped that'd be the case. She shouldn't be kept in the dark for too long, after all.

_I'll tell you another time, when you're older._

_In time, you'll understand everything._

Those words were practically the same, and it annoyed her. From something sympathetic, her expression shifted to something troubled. How much longer would she have to wait?

"What's with that expression of yours?" Kakashi asked, noticing her sudden change in emotion.

"It's nothing." She lied. _It's everything—that was the real truth._

"Really now?" Kakashi offered a light-hearted laugh. He didn't believe her a single bit. He had enough experience in his life to know that that wasn't the truth. But at the same time, he also didn't expect her to open up to him immediately. He had only just become her sensei after all. But as her sensei now, he had to reach out if he wanted to build trust and form a connection with his new student. "You don't have to open up to me immediately, Sarada. But if you do, I won't tell your parents if that's what you wish." And Kakashi wasn't lying when he said that. He didn't mind keeping some secrets. He wanted to build trust. Although, if one of the secrets Sarada told him for some reason was something as extreme as her wanting to start some war, he would have to go back on his word about not telling her parents. But that was unlikely. The slightest thought of that just happening seemed like a badly written joke.

Sarada briefly debated if she should tell him some of her troubles—troubles that she hadn't even told her parents directly, because she didn't want to burden them. She could sense Kakashi's genuineness and was certain he wasn't lying when he said he wouldn't tell her parents. And apart from the overwhelming presence and aura she had felt from him as the Sixth Hokage and skilled Ninja, there was also something comforting about him—reassuring, even. _It wouldn't hurt to tell him some things, right?_ She thought to herself. _I… don't know who else I can talk to about these things._

"I just wish that my father would tell me about the Uchiha clan, and his past. He doesn't seem very open to telling it, and I don't know why. I want to know why. He's… always hesitant. And at that time, I didn't want to start an argument with him over something like that. So I eventually ignored and _tried_ to bury away any remaining curiosity I had left. But now after what you just told me about the Sharingan, it reopened that curiosity… just a little. And I know I'm getting my hopes up _unreasonably_ high when I think you'd tell me more about my clan…" Sarada started, letting the vulnerable side overtake her in that moment as she decided to give him some of her trust. "Because in the end, as much as you've already opened up a little about yourself in regards to the Sharingan you once had, I already know that you won't answer too many of my questions about my father or the Uchiha Clan explicitly and directly. It's… because you respect him and you believe that it is something he should tell me, right?"

Kakashi was impressed by how sharp she was to already know the reason why he wouldn't tell her too much about the Uchiha Clan's history. He made a mental note to himself to be a little more cautious around her. "I'm surprised you'd already be aware of that much." His words were meant as a small compliment towards her sharpness, but she only shook her head in response. It wasn't because of her sharpness that she knew that much. "It's nothing worth a compliment." She sighed softly and offered a weak laugh, "I only know this because my mother is the same."

 _That's something your Papa should tell you, Sarada._ Those words began to echo in her head.

There was a brief pause between the two's conversation. Sarada was reflecting on certain things while Kakashi thought back about his conversation with Sakura before.

"I can't believe you're making me come out from my retirement as a _sensei_ , Sakura." He had groaned. "But you do realise," He continued, his tone gone solemn, "If I become her _sensei_ , her finding out about Sasuke's past as well as the tragedies of the Uchiha Clan might inadvertently happen sooner than planned." Kakashi had said, knowing that Sarada for the most part, was still kept in the dark.

Of course Sakura had been aware of this. Sarada had to know that Kakashi was a Sharingan user if she was to fully accept him as her personal mentor and _let_ him help her with her Sharingan. It was inevitable for her to know that much. And because she'll know he was a Sharingan user, her curiosity that she had buried in the past, would arise again. "I know." Sakura sighed.

"… I don't mean to pry," Kakashi spoke, "But among this generation's Ninja, Sarada is one of the most mature. It wouldn't hurt to let her know some things, if not, she might end up finding out about it the hard way."

Sakura's eyes only softened in a sorrowful way. "That is true." She agreed quietly, "But we're all afraid of something, aren't we?"

Kakashi knew she wasn't solely referring to herself, but Sasuke too. It didn't take a genius to understand what Sakura meant and what _he_ was afraid of.

If a daughter found out that her father was once the most wanted criminal in Konoha, how would she feel? And what would be the worst that can happen after the reveal?

Admittedly, times have changed, so has Sasuke who now acted as the Shadow Hokage, protecting the village when Naruto couldn't. But again, there will always be that minority who thought otherwise.

On a different note, whatever the case might be, he knew that at the end of the day it wasn't his story to tell. He was just her sensei. He was just supposed to help guide her, improve her strengths, diminish her weaknesses, shape her into a better Shinobi and maybe even provide some assistance to her walk towards the path of becoming the Hokage. He wasn't supposed to be a ladle and stir up drama and chaos within the Uchiha Household.

"Kakashi- _sensei._ " Sarada called out, snapping him out of his thoughts. It was the first time she had addressed him as her sensei, and yet she sounded unsure and maybe even still a little in disbelief. She turned towards him as she asked again, "Why did you decide to become my _sensei_?"

Before Kakashi had the chance to respond, Sarada continued to elaborate. "You could've said no. You had no obligation whatsoever even if you were a Sharingan user. I don't understand why you'd come out of your retirement for the sake of helping me with my own Sharingan."

Her disbelief and denial was truly amusing. Was it so hard to believe an old man like himself would come out of retirement?

"Well, I don't think I would've been able to say 'no' either way." He replied without thinking all too much. "You want to improve. You make an effort to improve. What kind of Hokage, Ninja, Uncle or even person would I be if I didn't help someone as earnest as you? Especially when I know I have the experience and knowledge to help you grow your strengths, and perhaps grow as a Ninja. Moreover, I'd rather not see an immense amount of potential go to waste for someone as earnest as you. In short, _I just want to_."

Sarada was at a loss for words by the time Kakashi finished explaining himself. She felt touched. And in that moment, she felt the troubles that had been weighing on her mind disappear for a fleeting moment. It was just nice to hear compliments as genuine as his in regards to her abilities, especially when she had been feeling left behind recently.

"Now then." Kakashi said as he stood up, stretching his arms as he walked towards the spacious training ground. "It's still early. And there's one last thing I want to assess you on now that I know your mind has been cleared a bit."

Sarada quickly stood up after. "S-Sure…" She stuttered, "What is it…?"

"It's nothing too difficult. It's to help me get a closer assessment of your current skills." He had said, and as he got into a fighting stance, Sarada could've guessed what it was, but she didn't think for it to be true until he told her. "It's combat. Treat me as the enemy, and _don't_ hold back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW okay. First of all I didn't expect to receive positive reviews of this fanfiction lol.
> 
> I want to initially say that originally, this was supposed to be a very long one-shot. But for one reason or another, it somehow became a multi-chapter fic. Woohoo, more commitments TwT. This concept of Kakashi becoming Sarada's personal mentor just intrigued me too much.
> 
> Moving on, I kept rewriting this chapter because I found it quite hard to write about Sasuke. I don't want to make Sasuke seem too much of a bad guy, that isn't really my intention as of now. I went through many forums and blogs etc etc that were discussing the Uchiha family (SSS), the chemistry/relationship between certain characters and some discussions about why Sasuke took in Boruto as his personal student rather than Sarada. I also took inspiration from the Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm game (one of the cut-scenes between Sasuke and Sarada) of why Sasuke decided to guide Boruto instead—because he felt Sarada's capable enough (at least, that's what I got and took away from that scene. I don't know if that game's content is considered canon or semi-canon, but yeah. Anyway…)
> 
> I plan to further explore what Sasuke meant by saying 'I can't be her sensei' later on. In addition, I also found it hard to write the relationship between Sasuke and Sarada. I don't know how to properly word the reason as to why, but let's hope I won't screw that up, ya? Let's also hope I can give appropriate and proper development to Sarada's and Kakashi's relationship as teacher and student.
> 
> Also when I wrote the part where some of Konoha's history is hidden from public/the new gen (Like in that one episode where Sarada found out that Uchiha book's other content was restricted), I was just wondering- what is opinion your of them hiding these things from the new gen?
> 
> That aside, I hope I didn't make and won't make any characters seem… well, out of character. I also hope I didn't write any of its lore/history/characteristics/Jutsus wrong. If I did, please tell me (and if majority of y'all feel that way in regards to any OOC-ness, I will rewrite the chapter :,D).
> 
> On another note, I don't think this story is going to be that long honestly. Maybe 12-15 chapters? (lol, whenever I tell that to myself, I end up writing more chapters than anticipated :,)) But yeah. I was just wondering if there is anything you want to see in the upcoming chapters of the story, if there is please tell! If the idea intrigues me I might add it.
> 
> Also, if you noticed, sometimes I use Japanese words in this fanfic. E.g.: Sasuke-kun, Hokage, sensei etc etc. If you find me to be overusing it or find it annoying, please do tell.
> 
> The next chapter will contain Kakashi Vs Sarada. I don't know when it'll be up. But if any of y'all are familiar with my Attack on Titan fanfiction updating schedule, it's normally once a month :'D. (But with life gradually becoming shitty, get ready for the most whack and random updating schedule!) However since I'm still on holiday, maybe it'd be up sooner? Then again, I still have other fanfics to work on and also with the fact that I have barely written any fighting scenes before, it might take a while. I don't want to make the combat between Sarada and Kakashi too short and too boring to read :p.
> 
> Also if any of y'all are wondering about the Chapter's title (it rises), it can be seen as Sarada's past curiosity rising or the rise (start) of the relationship between Kakashi and Sarada, the rise of troubles, the rise of the resolve in regards to Sarada's dissatisfaction etc etc
> 
> Please Leave A Review! Constructive Criticism would be Appreciated :)
> 
> PS: You can check out my tumblr for updates on my life and other stuff, and even send fanfic requests if you want. My tumblr: rosaline-kei


	3. Kakashi vs Sarada

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick IMPORTANT Note: Please read Author's Important Note Below! It's regarding UPDATE SCHEDULING and MINOR CHANGES.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Boruto nor its characters.**

* * *

_"Now then." Kakashi said as he stood up, stretching his arms as he walked towards the spacious training ground. "It's still early. And there's one last thing I want to assess you on now that I know your mind has been cleared a bit."_

_Sarada quickly stood up after. "S-Sure…" She stuttered, "What is it…?"_

_"It's nothing too difficult. It's to help me get a closer assessment of your current skills." He had said, and as he got into a fighting stance, Sarada could've guessed what it was, but she didn't think for it to be true until he told her. "It's combat. Treat me as the enemy, and_ _don't_ _hold back."_

* * *

The next thing Sarada knew, the sound of Kunais clashing against one another began to reverberate loudly around the forest.

 _Don't hold back._ —his words were reverberating in her head too.

She wasn't holding back. She didn't plan to. Her opponent was the Sixth Hokage—who now decided to be her _sensei_ —and the last thing she knew she should do was to underestimate him and the last thing she wanted was for him to underestimate her. She was going to give it her all.

Not to mention, after the _mess_ of her earlier Kunai and Shuriken throwing demonstration that she had showcased to him caused by her troubled thoughts, she felt a great urge to prove herself to him. Especially now, when her mind wasn't as clouded as before.

Kakashi could tell this. He could tell she was no longer as troubled as before in regards to her clan and her Sharingan. After all, her movements and retaliations were smooth and quick. There was absolutely with no hesitation. And for one reason or another, it reminded him of Sasuke during his young Genin days.

He never really held back.

Sarada had activated her Sharingan from the start of her fight, and with each strike and counter that Kakashi shot at her, her eyes would absorb and analyse more information. They would search for openings. A chance to strike.

 _An opening…_ She thought as she blocked his strike. _I need an opening._ And her eyes widened when she finally spotted one. At his arm.

 _Over there!_ She thought. Without a moment to lose, while one of her hands busied with preventing Kakashi from landing a strike, her free hand reached in her back pocket, drawing out another Kunai as she swiftly swung it to his opening spot.

Or to what she thought was an opening.

"Nice try, Sarada." said Kakashi, who at the same time took out another Kunai as well to block hers. Sarada didn't even see that coming, her eyes had been too focused at _only_ the opening. And now she was faced with the consequence of having to hold back both his Kunais.

Kakashi watched her Sharingan eyes shoot a glare at him, and he couldn't help but scoff. _And to think she was all nervous and flustered earlier when I said I'd become her personal sensei,_ he thought with a sigh. _Then again, I did tell her to treat me like an enemy…_

He briefly thought back to the time when he had conducted the Genin test for her batch at the academy. At that time, he didn't manage to have a one-on-one with her unlike Boruto. And unlike Boruto at that time, he could tell she wasn't taking her opponent for granted.

 _But even so, she still has ways to go…_ He wondered. _Anyway, it's about time she—_

Kakashi quickly cut his thoughts off the moment he noticed the young girl's glare intensify. He immediately lifted his leg up to give her a kick to her chin, only for her to dodge and retreat back.

"Were you about to trap me in your Genjutsu when I got close enough?" Kakashi asked as he noticed a fleeting look of disappointment cross her face. "You've got to be quicker, and less obvious of your next move for that matter." Having battled previous Sharingan wielders, and having previously owned a Sharingan, it hadn't caught him by surprise when Sarada tried to pull off a Genjutsu on him. Not when they were trapped in that position where their Kunais trying to hold the other off, when she was close enough to meet his eyes.

Sarada remained silent, gripping both her Kunais tightly. She was thankful that her eyes saved her from that ruthless kick of his, but was upset that she wasn't able to use them to get him under a Genjutsu.

"You have to remember, your enemies might know that you're an Uchiha, a wielder of the Sharingan. And if those enemies are skilled, they'll be even more cautious and prepared as compared to me when encountering you and your eyes—the ones famous for a Genjutsu." He told her, "So be more subtle. It wasn't a surprise for me when you tried to use it on me earlier when I was somewhat trapped in that position."

Before Sarada could've had the chance to mumble a word of acknowledgement in regards to his advice, a few Shurikens came flying towards her face.

Unhesitatingly, she took out a few Shurikens of her own, throwing some at the ones approaching her to deflect them while dodging the others as she charged towards him.

 _To think she was struggling earlier to aim them properly with both her eyes opened and focusing on her target._ Kakashi pondered, _now her gaze doesn't even linger more than a second at the Shurikens flying towards her before dodging or deflecting them._

While charging towards him, Sarada began to weave some hand signs. " _Lightning style!_ Lightning ball!" And the next thing Kakashi saw was a large lightning ball hurling towards him.

 _So she knows lightning style?_ He thought to himself, his hands already weaving signs to formulate a Jutsu to counter. _Then teaching her_ that _shouldn't be difficult._

"Earth style! Mud Wall!" He exclaimed once he finished weaving all the signs. A large mud-wall came rising from the ground, blocking the Uchiha's lightning attack. Albeit, it crumbled a little from the impact.

On the other side of the wall, Sarada was already preparing for her next attack as she ran towards where Kakashi supposedly was.

 _Don't hold back_ , he had to her.

But she did wonder, was _he_ holding back? It wouldn't surprise her if he was. Even she, herself, was aware of the fact that she still had more to learn, more to master. There was absolutely no way she could beat him now, not at this stage, right?

Even with the Sharingan, she had learnt throughout all her missions that it wouldn't necessarily give her an edge. Not to mention, she was still stuck with one tomoe. After two years, she was still stuck with one in both her eyes.

She pushed those pestering thoughts aside before they could spread and cloud her mind once again. "Don't think about that now, Sarada…" She mumbled to herself as her hands rapidly weaved signs, "Just give it your all!" Upon reaching the other side of the wall, she was about to release her Fireball Jutsu that her father had once taught her, but stopped when she realise he was no longer there.

 _Damn it!_ She cursed in her mind as she turned to her left, seeing a familiar figure in a distance getting smaller as he jumped onto the trees leading west. Not wanting to lose him, she went for the chase.

Even if she was aware of the high possibility that she wouldn't be able to beat him this time round, she was still filled with the fiery spirit of not giving up, not wanting to lose.

* * *

It had been almost two minutes since Sarada began chasing him, and she still couldn't pinpoint the exact reason why he was running away from her.

He wasn't exactly in a vulnerable position so as to retreat, so that reason didn't make sense. Was he leading her into a trap? Or was he just trying to wear her and her Sharingan out? Or worse, was that just a shadow clone to trick her?

She couldn't tell, but decided it was best to remain a fair distance away from him for now until she could formulate a better strategy.

Leaping from branch to branch with her guard up, she reflected back to the earlier fight she had with Kakashi. To say that he was skilled was probably an understatement. Even with her Sharingan, it still took quite an effort and time to finally spot an opening.

 _There wasn't much to observe from his fighting style and technique with the Kunai that he displayed earlier._ She thought, quickening her pace just slightly when her target did. _He dodges and strike whenever he sees an opening… I don't see any pattern so far._

She pondered on briefly if she should use her Fireball Jutsu now, before he had the chance to pull any tricks on her. The forest was dark after all with all the large trees and its leaves blocking the sun —a great setting for him to pull something—and it wasn't getting any better as they ventured deeper into the woods. Plus, given the fact her Fireball Jutsu had improved to a great extent, there was possibility that its large flames could force out wherever the real Kakashi was hiding if the white-haired man in front of her turned out to be a fake.

At the same time, she knew she also had to factor in the other possibility that he was expecting her to use the Fireball Jutsu that he wanted to trap her.

He was the Sixth Hokage. The Ninja who became Chunin at the age of 6, and Jonin at the age of 12. The Ninja who had an especially important role in the great ninja war, so she heard.

And he _was_ a Sharingan user who was also once both her parent's sensei. He knew her eyes' weakness, and maybe even an Uchiha's weakness at that.

It was risky to use the Fireball Jutsu now—Sarada was aware of that. But she wasn't sure what other options she had left. She could throw her Shurikens and Kunais at him, but she knew he'd be able to dodge them all. She could follow him to wherever he was going, but she didn't want to become a hunter turn prey if he were to lead her successfully into a trap.

 _I might as well force him into a fight,_ she thought. _I need to see if he has any other weakness. Running isn't going to solve anything… and it's too late to hide myself…_

" _Sometimes you just got to leave it all to chance!"_ For one reason or another, Boruto's voice began to chime in her head. _"Ya know, play it by the ear!"_ At that time she refused to ever become a person like that. A person that "played it by the ear". But in her years of training, she came to learn that there were times where it was a must to take uncertain risks.

"Tsk." She clicked her tongue agitatedly, her hands already moving on its own. _I hope you're right, Boruto._

When Kakashi suddenly jumped off, and down from the branch, Sarada unhesitatingly followed after. Confidently, she exclaimed. "Fireball Jutsu!" before blowing out fire towards her sensei's direction.

Only for him to counter back with water.

" _Water style! Water wall!"_

Eyes widening, Sarada swiftly managed to catch her balance, landing on the lake itself as she focused her chakra on the soles of her feet. Steam began to emerge from the water and fire colliding.

 _There's a lake here?! He was leading me… damn it!_ She cursed as she shifted her legs a little on the water, readying herself for the next hit as she got into a fighting stance. _I should've been more careful… no, if only I could have made up my mind quicker then maybe I—_

Her thoughts were cut off by the sudden sound of buzzing, of electricity. It didn't take her long to figure out what Kakashi was planning—especially when her pair of Sharingan eyes caught sight of the water droplets falling around her after that water style counter.

She had been lucky enough to get herself away from the water in time and back on the land, before the lightning—that now used the droplets of water as its medium to conduct its flow—could electrocute her. _If it hadn't been for my Sharingan I…_

She bit her lip in agitation. It didn't take her long to figure out that she had fallen prey. Perhaps it had been carless of her to listen to Boruto's words, but the more she thought about it the more she found herself blaming herself for her earlier indecisiveness. If she had made the decision earlier to use her Fireball Jutsu when she saw Kakashi, then maybe she'd have some chance.

She hated this. This wasn't like her at all, and she knew that. Even after clearing her mind and erasing her troubles so she could truly showcase her abilities to her new sensei, she still found herself at the losing end and she hated it.

Was it because she was nervous? _No it's not that._

Was it because her worries from before were creeping back? _No it's not that either…_

Or was it just because she was weak?

She bit her lip tighter at the mere thought of that. She didn't want to be weak. How can she be the _Hokage_ if she was weak?

That aside, she didn't know how long this was going to last. Granted, she still had a fair amount of chakra left, but if he were to put her in a spot where she'd be forced into something exhaustive, she wasn't sure if she could hold up.

 _There must be something._ She pondered, her hand clenching into a fist. _I…_

Her eyes trailed to her clenched fist, and that's when it hit her.

_That's i—_

Her thoughts were cut off when her eyes caught sight of something bright amidst the steam, hurling towards her. She recognized it in an instant. A Fireball Jutsu. She had anticipated this, of course an ex-Sharingan user would've used this famous Jutsu before. And fortunately for her, she had a perfect counter in mind.

Automatically, her hands weaved signs that her eyes had memorized earlier. In a second, she instantly exclaimed, " _Earth Style! Mud wall!_ " And the ground rose to become her shield before the flames could scorch her skin. She wasn't sure how well it would hold up, it had been her first time attempting something earth-style related. _If only I knew some water-styled Jutsus…_ she sighed.

 _This will buy me some time for_ that _, at least._ She thought, before fleeing. _This has to work._

Meanwhile, on the other side of the wall, Kakashi's Fireball had penetrate her mud wall for the most part. _Quick reflexes_ , he thought as he noticed her disappearance. Albeit, it didn't really faze him so much. _Well, it's my turn to find her._

* * *

As Kakashi ran in the forest in search of the young Uchiha, he reflected back to the skills she had showed to him. And unlike Sarada, he didn't think any less of her despite the fact she hadn't landed a successful hit on him. There had been a few close calls, though.

If anything, he saw good potential in her— _A Shinobi potential—_ a potential that was maybe even more than what he saw in Sasuke back in his young Genin days. And this was mostly because unlike her father back then, her heart wasn't corrupted with hatred to the extent it'd blind her from making the right choices. She wasn't seeking revenge. She wanted to become Hokage. Even if she were to find out about her clan's dark past, he doubted she'd be consumed by the Curse of Hatred, right?

After all, she was Sakura's daughter—and that pink-haired woman had nurtured her with so much love during her father's absence. And when he had returned back home, a father's love was what she received.

As of now, he wasn't worried about this Uchiha in regards of her straying away from the Will of Fire. The only thing he was worried so far was about her opinion of herself. He hoped she wouldn't beat herself too much over this, if she were to lose to him.

She was only thirteen, and she still had many years to grow and nurture her strength.

For all he knew, she could possibly surpass Naruto—who she seemed to look up to as she walked the path of the Hokage.

He was aware that while the vast majority of Konoha had forgiven Sasuke and his sins, there were a few who were still sceptical, but kept their silence due to their respect for Naruto. As for the villages outside of the leaf that had been either indirectly or directly affected by Sasuke's past mistakes, he wasn't so sure.

 _On a different note… I wonder how far she ran off to…_ He thought with a sigh, _I could be reading Icha-Icha while I search for her. Then again, I've reread it so many times that I practically have that whole series memorized…_

The faint rustling sound of the trees had cut off his thoughts, and had made him halt in his chase. He took a glimpse at his surroundings. "Come out." He said nonchalantly, as he leaned against one of the tall-standing trees. "I know you're here." He spoke, "There's no wind blowing here blowing the trees after all."

And the next sound he heard once again was the clashing of Kunais. Upon having her hiding spot exposed, Sarada had left the camouflaged space provided by the large leaves of the trees, and shot herself towards Kakashi's back with a Kunai in one hand—only for it to be countered with his own.

"If the wind had been blowing, you might have caught me off guard. Be more careful next time." He commented as he swung his Kunai towards her, for her to only dodge and attempt a retaliation. She didn't reply, her eyes that flashed her Sharingan only focused on the Kunais that battled one another. She thought of placing him under a Genjutsu, but it was a struggle given how fast he was moving, how fast he was retaliating.

Kakashi didn't hesitate to bring up her sudden change in style, "Your fighting is becoming a little hasty." He remarked. "Just like how Boruto was during the Genin exam." He sighed, recollecting how that child was brimming of overconfidence. Although, he sure he wasn't so hasty anymore, right? It had been two years after all.

"Don't compare me to—" Kakashi's abrupt kick to her stomach that had sent her flying towards the tree had cut her off. "Don't just focus on the Kunai." He spoke.

"T…Tsk…" She clicked her tongue agitatedly, rubbing her eyes a little as she forced herself to stand up. And right before her eyes, Kakashi had vanished.

"Where did he—"

" _Earth style! Head-hunter Jutsu!_ "

"What the—?!" was the first thing that left Sarada's lips when she felt something wrapping around her leg, and a loud yelp soon followed after when that something pulled her down into the ground, leaving only her head on the surface.

"You're suddenly being quite careless, Sarada." Kakashi said, emerging from the darkness as he walked towards her, looking down on the Uchiha who had a familiar look of frustration like her father when he had gotten trapped too. "You were doing well at the lake earlier… I—"

The smirk that slowly grew on her face had cut him off, raising some suspicion. However, before he could've gotten the chance to react, he heard an awfully familiar voice shouting. "Don't underestimate the Uchiha!" Another Sarada came forth towards him, and the buried one disappeared. It had been a shadow clone.

With her fist clenched, Sarada aimed her fist at the ground. _Mama, give me strength._ She thought silently.

And once her fist came into contact with the ground, everything came falling, breaking, and destroyed— all with one monstrous punch.

Small dirt and dust particles floated and filled the air. Even if Sarada was sure that that punch to the ground definitely caught Kakashi, her guard remained up as she walked through the dust, avoiding the new large cracks on the ground that her fist had caused.

Taking a few steps forward, she spotted Kakashi lying on a tree that had fell due to Sarada's punch and its impact.

"You got your mother's strength alright…" He groaned, briefly recalling the time he nearly suffered Sakura's fist, directly. _Nearly._ And now here he was, facing the impact from a 'Mini Sakura'. He slowly sat up. "Honestly—"

Sarada—or rather, her Kunai—had interrupted his reply, with it nearing his neck. "Had this been your plan along?" Kakashi queried, shifting his head backwards away from the knife, to only be stopped from going back any further by the tree behind him. "You told me not to hold back." Sarada responded calmly, her grip tightening on her Kunai slightly. Despite her 'victory' she didn't seem too overjoyed. Something just felt off.

Taking a risk, her Sharingan eyes glimpsed towards her right a little, and widened in fright.

_No—!_

She turned, about to counter, but to no avail. Her Kunai flew in the air briefly before dropping down a distance away from her on the ground. And now, it was Kakashi's Kunai against her neck.

The one behind her had been a shadow clone. And she had spotted and sensed the real one's chakra a second too late.

Carefully, Sarada quickly reached for her Shurikens in her back-pocket, only for Kakashi to take a step back and spoke, "That's all for today."

_Huh?_

"I had enough of a close view of your abilities, Sarada." He smiled. "Besides, any more fighting, and the whole forest might be destroyed." He joked light-heartedly.

"Oh…" Sarada bit her lip slightly, as her eyes reverted back to its black colour. "Yeah…" She replied to his little joke, albeit a little sullenly.

Kakashi raised a brow. He would've asked her what the matter was if he hadn't know the answer. "You done well today." He spoke, and it was the honest truth. "I had expected for you to be a little more frazzled when facing a Jonin like myself, let alone by yourself, since for the most part you worked in teams more often to take down a criminal or criminals. However, you proved me wrong."

"Of course, there are some areas of improvement that you can still make—but you're only thirteen, and still a Genin. You will make mistakes along the way. It's natural. And once you mend those mistakes, you'll eventually be a great shinobi in due time." He assured.

"I know… it's just…" She hesitated briefly, debating whether she should lower her guard and share some parts of her vulnerability to her new sensei. Eventually, she did. She wanted to build trust with him. Plus, it wasn't like it was a mystery to him anyway. And she had already opened up to him a little earlier. "Two years, and my Sharingan is still like… _this._ Under-developed. Only one tomoe in each eye. If I had two… or maybe even three, then maybe I wouldn't have struggled so much in the beginning…maybe—"

" _Maybe_ ," Kakashi interrupted, as he shifted to stand in front of her. "You shouldn't reduce your self-worth to just your Sharingan, Sarada."

Sarada's eyes widened. What Kakashi said, about her reducing her self-worth to just her Sharingan, had just dawned upon her. It was as if she had just finally been made fully aware of it. But even so, that dissatisfied feeling lingering within her stayed stubbornly. And unknowingly, she expressed a troubled sort of look.

"If that had been me instead of a shadow clone, that fist of yours would've killed me." He joked, upon noticing her troubled look. His eyes had softened slightly. "You are more than your Sharingan. I know that you want to improve, especially in the areas regarding your Sharingan… but you mustn't think that it is all your power is worth." He said. "Many Ninjas who were born without gifts, have succeeded well in their life—have proved their worth. Take your mother for example."

A soft sound of bells jingling echoed around. "Remember these?" Kakashi queried, having taken out the bells he used for her batch's Genin test. "Just between us, Naruto and Sakura were successful in retrieving the bells from me. Sasuke… hadn't had the chance." From how her expression changed from troubled to surprise, Kakashi figured she hadn't expect her father to not be able to retrieve the bells when the other members of the original Team 7 could. Of course, he hadn't been there to take the test due to some… circumstances. And the reason for Naruto and Sakura's victory was because they used his beloved Icha Icha against him…

Though, she didn't need to know any of that, because that fact still stood as the truth. And although he wanted her to embrace the eyes she was gifted it, as well as have her hone its skills, he didn't want her to grow so absorbed of it to the extent where she'd go… _crazy._

Before Sarada could respond, Kakashi gave a pat on her head. "You done well today. Better than the Kunai throwing you showed to me before." He praised once again, "Well, that's it for today. I'll see you tomorrow, 9.30 a.m. sharp on the bridge." With that, Kakashi left.

Sarada stood there quietly, her hand reaching out and resting to where he had patted her head, watching the Jonin disappear into the darkness that the forest provided. Her mind briefly drifted off, pondering on what life and fate now had in stall for her now that Kakashi was her new _sensei._

 _Sensei._ Another thought came crashing in. _Konohamaru Sensei._

How was he going to react to this? Or had Kakashi informed him of this already? And if he hadn't, what was she going to say to him?

It was no doubt that Konohamaru had been an amazing mentor to Team seven, to her. In the two years, he had indisputably helped the whole of Team 7 in their growth of being a Ninja. She was afraid that he might think he wasn't good enough if she told him that she accepted Kakashi as her new mentor— _another sensei_ , to personally train her. A sensei that _wasn't_ him. Moreover, there was already another member of Team seven that had another mentor to train him, another mentor that _wasn't_ Konohamaru.

 _How would he feel?_ Thought Sarada. _About his own students and team members wanting to train with someone else too…? I mean, it's not that I look down or doubt Konohamaru-sensei… but for my Sharingan…Kakashi-sensei would be the… but will he feel sad? Disappointed with himself? About the fact that his own team, own students are looking to_ others _for guidance…?_

"I tell ya Mitsuki, Sasuke-san is tough! I'm surprised he even let me off early today." Speak of the devil.

Turning to her right, she spotted two familiar figures walking towards her direction. Boruto and Mitsuki.

"Well, you did tell him you wanted to—oh, Sarada." Mitsuki noticed, greeting the Uchiha.

"Eh? Sarada? What are you doing h—" Boruto had cut himself off, upon noticing the destruction that surrounded Sarada, the destruction that was caused by her deathly fist. "What happened here?! Did someone attack you?!"

"It's nothing. I was just training." Sarada reassured with a sigh following after as she walked past the blonde.

"T-Training?" Boruto murmured, stuttering slightly as he grimaced at the damage she caused. He internally prayed that he wouldn't have to one day face the wrath of her fist.

"Afraid?" Sarada turned towards him a little, a small smirk that had spread across her lips upon noticing his stutter. She found her mood lightening a little after playfully taunting him, albeit she didn't know why.

"Am not!" He defended.

"Then why are you being so defensive?" She pestered, taking a step closer to him.

Feeling slightly intimidated of her—or maybe more so of her fist—he instinctively took a step back. "I—"

"You two make a good couple." Mitsuki cut in, smiling a little more when he noticed both of their cheeks reddening. _Even after two years… that opinion of his had always remained the same._ And neither Sarada nor Boruto could think of the reason why. However, before either one retort or dispute, he continued, "Anyway, Boruto and I were going to visit Konohamaru-sensei. Since you're here, you should come along—you're a part of Team 7 after all."

Sarada's cheeks were fast to fade back to its original skin colour when Mitsuki brought up Konohamaru-sensei. She managed to not express her earlier distressed look when she had been thinking of how Konohamaru would react to _this_ new news. "Sure." She managed to reply, a smile forcing its way to her lips.

She had to tell Konohamaru-sensei sooner or later anyway, should he be unaware of Kakashi being her new personal mentor— _sensei_. Plus, she did want to check on him and how he was recovering. "Let's go then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Finally done! Sorry for the wait. Please read the entire Author's notes, it's regarding changes made to previous chapters and update scheduling.
> 
> Firstly and importantly, I changed Sarada's age (14 to 13. My dumbass thought she got her sharingan at 12 and not 11 smh…). I will also be changing a few of the interactions in the previous chapter. But fret not, nothing too severe.
> 
> Secondly, a lot of stuff happened in my personal life (don't worry, it's nothing really serious. Trivial stuff. But I'm an emotional person so lmao GG.) and thus updates might be slower. As a result of those events in my life, my motivation for writing died (but I'm very slowly getting it back), and plus my current school life is going to be busy soon enough. Regardless, I'll try my best to update this ONCE A MONTH. TRY.
> 
> I have a tumblr account (Account name: rosaline-kei). So if you don't see me reblogging there or posting there, it'd probably mean life's being shit and updates will be slower. You can also ask/request fics or whatever there. (I'll try my best to do the requested fanfics, I'm trying to build back motivation lol.)
> 
> Anyway thanks for reading this! I hope the fight between Kakashi and Sarada wasn't shit. I'm not good at writing fighting scenes. I didn't mean to make Sarada weak! Albeit, I do believe she still has lots to learn. I also hope I didn't get any Naruto/Boruto information wrong… if I did, please inform me, and I'll make changes right away!
> 
> Please Leave A Review! Constructive Feedback would be nice :)


	4. Konohamaru-Sensei

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: READ AUTHOR'S NOTES BELOW TO KNOW NEXT UPDATE.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Boruto nor its characters.**

* * *

_"You two make a good couple." Mitsuki cut in, smiling a little more when he noticed both of their cheeks reddening._ _Even after two years… that opinion of his had always remained the same._ _And neither Sarada nor Boruto could think of the reason why. However, before either one retort or dispute, he continued, "Anyway, Boruto and I were going to visit Konohamaru-sensei. Since you're here, you should come along—you're a part of Team 7 after all."_

 _Sarada's cheeks were fast to fade back to its original skin colour when Mitsuki brought up Konohamaru-sensei. She managed to not express her earlier distressed look when she had been thinking of how Konohamaru would react to_ _this_ _new news. "Sure." She managed to reply, a smile forcing its way to her lips._

 _She had to tell Konohamaru-sensei sooner or later anyway, should he be unaware of Kakashi being her new personal mentor_ — _sensei_ _. Plus, she did want to check on him and_ _how he was recovering. "Let's go then."_

* * *

"You guys didn't have to come..." Konohamaru sighed. "What if you get sick too? Your parents will—"

"Don't worry so much Konohamaru nii-chan!" Boruto exclaimed with a bright smile as he patted his back. "My immune system isn't that weak 'ttebasa! What kind of Ninja would I be if I let a little flu overcome me?" Boruto scoffed.

His proud and confident remark resulted in a brow raised by Konohamaru, which was followed by an insulted look. It was only then did Boruto realise how much insult was in his words, and his regret definitely showed from the way he suddenly broke in a nervous sweat when Konohamaru shot a glare right at him. " _Kore_ … are you calling me weak—"

"Hey Konohamaru-sensei, remember this?" Sarada immediately interjected as her hands quickly raised up the box full of daifuku strawberries that the three of them had purchased on the way to his house. The last thing she wanted was for a fight to break out, which could have led to his health worsening. "It's the limited edition strawberry daifuku from that popular store!" Sarada said, before passing the box over to him. "This time we didn't eat all of them before we got here… so once you fully recover, you can finally get a taste of them." And just like that, he was placated the moment he got his hands on the goodies.

"Thank you for saving me there…" Boruto whispered to the Uchiha while Konohamaru was distracted by the sweets. However before Sarada could issue a response, Konohamaru had cut her off.

"In any case…" Konohamaru spoke, before forcing himself to place the box of sweets down before he could get any more distracted, or have his mouth water any further. "I'm sorry for getting sick, the three of you were really looking forward to our next mission, right?"

"Gee, it's not that big of a deal Konohamaru nii-chan!" Boruto assured, with Sarada and Mitsuki nodding in agreement. "There's always other missions anyway, dattebasa. Besides, it just gives me more time with Sasuke-san to train and get stronger for our next mission!"

"Is that so?" Konohamaru said, and Sarada noticed something that seemed to have gone past the other two of her teammates who continued the conversation with him. She noticed the look in his eyes when Boruto brought up her father being his _other_ mentor. It was hard to describe the emotion she saw swelling in them. But more or less, she could tell it wasn't a happy thing.

She wondered how he had felt deep down when he had found out her father was going to take Boruto under his wing. Of course, she knew that as long as it improved Boruto's strength as a whole, Konohamaru would be okay with that. If anything, he'd be happy and proud even if it wasn't just him that contributed to Boruto's development.

He was a kind man like that.

But then, how would he feel when he'd find out that yet another one of his students was taken under someone else's wing?

She didn't want him to feel like his students and team members were looking elsewhere for help and training because he was useless. He was _far_ from useless. She just needed guidance for a particular thing that could only be given by a few specific people. And one of those people just happened to be Kakashi Hatake.

"Sarada?" Konohamaru called. "Is something wrong?" He asked, a concerned look now expressing itself in both his eyes and face upon noticing the Uchiha's withdrawal from the conversation.

"Ah, no. It's just…" Her eyes searched around for an excuse and a reason to talk to him privately. She didn't want Boruto nor Mitsuki to be around, just in case she let any of her vulnerabilities slip. She didn't want them to see any of that. Fortunately enough for her, she found an excuse. Her hands reached out for the box of daifuku strawberries and passed it over to Boruto. "It's best to quickly store these in the fridge after purchase." She said, "And while you're at it, maybe you could help make some tea for Konohamaru-sensei."

"Huh?" Boruto groaned, "Why me—"

"Mitsuki, you follow just in case he messes up the kitchen." She added before Boruto could finish his protest, which now continued as a defensive remark. "Do you have no faith in me, Sarad—"

"Come on, Boruto." Mitsuki urged with a smile as he stood up, "It's the least you could do for hinting that Konohamaru-sensei was weak." He said before beginning to make his way to his kitchen.

"O-Oi! Don't remind him!" Boruto spoke, trying to hush him. "And I didn't mean it like that!" He added on, as if to clarify his earlier words as he followed after him.

Once Boruto and Mitsuki left the room and to Konohamaru's kitchen, Sarada looked towards him, and took a deep breath. She had to tell him sooner or later—about Kakashi becoming her personal mentor. _It's now or neve—_

"Kakashi came by earlier, albeit his visit was quite short." Konohamaru started off, cutting off her thoughts. Sarada froze in place. _He already knew…?_ She thought. "If that was what you wanted to talk to me alone about, don't worry, I've already been informed…"

Even without her Sharingan, Sarada could tell from the sorrowfulness brimming in his eyes which he had failed to hide, that it was bothering him. She could tell he was filled with disappointment, but not towards Sarada who went to another Shinobi to seek guidance. _It was towards himself._ Two of his team members, his own assigned students, sought help for their abilities elsewhere—and not with him. It was indisputable and reasonable that he would feel a little upset, maybe even guilty of the fact that maybe he wasn't a competent sensei. Of course, Sarada disagreed with that.

She found herself clenching her fists, and the next thing she knew she found herself retorting to Konohamaru, regarding his unspoken self-disappointment. "You're _not_ a bad sensei. If anything, you're a great leader and teacher for Team 7." Sarada said firmly, with a tone so earnest that even Konohamaru couldn't deny that it was the truth and not some made-up lies for the sake of comfort. "It's just… if I want to master my Sharingan, it would be best if I ask someone who has… or at least, _had_ the Sharingan. After all, that person would be more knowledgeable and more experienced." She explained. "So don't think any less about yourself sensei, and as for Boruto and—" The abrupt sound of Konohamaru's chuckle interrupted her and had perplexed her as well. _What was so funny?_

"To think I'd have made you worry this much _kore_... I didn't think you'd have noticed how I felt... but I guess even with or without your Sharingan, you're as sharp as ever." He smiled, and she saw the despondency clearing from his eye, replaced by something… _brighter_. "The fact that you and Boruto, and maybe even Mitsuki one day will turn to someone else for guidance as opposed to me regarding your abilities does sadden me… _but_ as Team 7's leader and your sensei, I am and will always be happy for you even if your improvement isn't because of me. There's nothing wrong with that. But you know, _Kore_ , if you ever need any help, I'll be here too." And Sarada could tell that this was his truth.

There was no envy nor anger in his tone. It was undeniable that he, as Team 7's leader, just wanted the best for them. He was indeed a kind man.

"Sensei…" Sarada murmured, a smile of her own appearing. More than anything, she was relieved that at least he wasn't as upset as she had thought. She was happy and thankful for his support and help throughout the few years they had together as Team 7. "Thank you, Konohamaru-sensei… even if Kakashi-sensei is my personal mentor and sensei now… you are still our best and irreplaceable Team 7 leader! _Nothing will ever change that._ "

* * *

"Gee Sarada, what did you say back there that got Konohamaru nii-chan so emotional?" Boruto grumbled as he rested his hands behind his head, recalling how Konohamaru started tearfully going on about how happy he was with Team 7 the moment he and Mitsuki walked back in with a cup of tea for him. "Or maybe that's how he is when he's sick… Ahh whatever! I hope he recovers sooner than expected, I really want to go on another mission soon…an S-rank one at that!" He beamed and Sarada shook her head, adjusting her glasses. "We're not even Chunin yet, Boruto."

Boruto and Sarada were making their way home after their visit to Konohamaru's. Mitsuki had left the duo earlier, with an excuse that he had to make a quick stop somewhere before returning home. The Uchiha took a glimpse at the sky above them to see that the faint shades of blue were slowly taking over the orange of the sky brought by the sunset, it wouldn't take long for the moon to finally rise and cast its glow over Konoha.

Sarada hoped that she wouldn't be too late for dinner, but then again she had heard that her mother would be busy with work today which meant that she might be late. And for all she knew her father might be having a meeting with Naruto that'd end late as well. So being home a little late wasn't bothering her all too much, considering that it wasn't likely that a ready-made dinner was waiting for her at home going cold.

"A Ninja can dream!" He countered, and then huffed in frustration the moment he saw Sarada roll her eyes at his remark. He didn't even need to hear her retaliation to know what she was thinking of his over-ambition. He had already heard it many times whenever they'd be assigned a mission, with Boruto afterwards complaining of wanting something more exciting and difficult.

There was a temptation within him to retort snidely to her equally snide eye-roll, but the image of the destructed forest from before flashed in his mind to caution him of the consequences. And instead, he held back a gulp and asked, "Anyway… what were you doing in the forest?"

"Oh, that?" Sarada said, recalling her earlier spar with Kakashi—which frankly, despite having somewhat rested at Konohamaru's for a bit, she still felt exhaustion tugging at her from the battle before. _It won't hurt to tell Boruto about it, it isn't a secret or anything after all._ Sarada thought before answering, "Kakashi-sensei will be taking me under his wing now, so I was training with him."

In an instant, Boruto's eyes widened in surprise. "Ehhh?! That old-man Kakashi?! No way!" He gasped, seeming to be in disbelief. "Since when? And did you beat him?"

"Just today. And no, I didn't. He's a Jonin, Boruto. You've fought him before during our graduation exam right? You should know his strength." Sarada sighed, her eyes trailing towards her hand, which closed in itself in a familiar sort of frustration. _Dissatisfaction._ "I couldn't have beaten him, not the way I am now…" She uttered softly, with another disappointed sigh leaving her lips. If anything, she was shocked at the fact that she didn't sustain any serious injuries from the fight she had with Kakashi. Perhaps he was being kind. That or he didn't want her to get any harsh wounds that'd affect her performance the next day when she was supposed to train with him.

"Ehh…really? That tree punch would've killed anyone." Boruto joked light-heartedly, albeit a part of him was wondering how Kakashi managed to avoid or counter Sarada's deadly punches. He wanted to know, just in case he would one day be in the same position as that tree. "Why did you decide to ask that Old man Kakashi anyway? You and your Sharingan seem to be fine."

"For the same or at least similar reasons as you. I want to become Hokage, so having the Sixth Hokage's guidance would be helpful." What she said wasn't necessarily a lie, but it wasn't the full truth either. She didn't expect Boruto nor Mitsuki to understand how left behind she felt. Granted, a part of her did want to tell them. Bottling things up wasn't the best. However, there was another bigger part of her that refused to let her guard down and let them be aware of her vulnerabilities and insecurities. _Was it pride?_ She wondered, but was unable to find the answer in the moment.

There were many reasons why she accepted Kakashi's help, but all of which she decided to keep to herself as of now. _It wasn't that big of a deal anyway, right?_

"I mean, you want to follow my Papa's footsteps right?" She asked, faintly recalling the time he enthusiastically and proudly exclaimed that when— _not if_ , but _when_ she became the Hokage, he would be her aid. He would be by her side. Whenever those words crossed her mind, there was a certain fluttery feeling spluttering inside of her which she was unable to discern, and instead decided to believe it was gratitude. Or something like that. _What else could that feeling be?_

"Well…" Boruto said. "I do want to be a strong Shinobi like him but… not exactly all his footsteps… y'know?" As for Boruto, he recalled back the time when he travelled back in time with Sasuke. And inevitably he had found out about some things about him that he probably shouldn't have. He didn't know the full story, nor did he wish to pry too much even if his curiosity was begging him to do so. It seemed like a touchy topic after all. And he wasn't sure how to approach it either. In the first place, he didn't even know how sensitive the topic was. Or how bad the situation was regarding his past. All he knew was that he deserted the village, for reasons that seemed too sensitive for him to touch as of now.

Even if he did feel a little upset upon knowing about the dark side of Sasuke's past, he came to understand that that Sasuke of the past was what made the Sasuke in the present, who in his eyes was still a great Shinobi who now served the village. _People can change for both the better and worse_ —that much Boruto was aware of. And he was sure Sarada knew of this too, right? She was his daughter after all. Although, he wasn't sure if her father's past was a touchy topic to her.

To say the least, his assumption of Sarada knowing of Sasuke's past was soon to be proven false. And he soon came to regret ever opening his mouth.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" asked Sarada, confused. Her eyes looked up and focused on Boruto's, which seemed to be shifting a little nervously and uncomfortably. "Did you… change your goals?"

"No I didn't change my gaols dattebasa! I mean… Y'know… that… _thing_ …" As Boruto struggled to bring it up, it didn't take long for him to realise the cluelessness written all over the young Uchiha's expression. It didn't take him long to connect the dots either. The sudden silence of the blonde amplified the concern Sarada felt, along with the confusion.

"Did—"

_Did he not tell you?_

"Sarada!" Boruto was interrupted before he could finish, and never in his life did he ever feel as relieved as he was now.

"Mama?" Sarada turned around, seeing her pink-haired mother carrying a few grocery bags as she approached them. Instinctively, she went forward to offer a hand. "I managed to finish all my work earlier than I expected." She said, before noticing Boruto. "Oh, Boruto, you're here too?" Sakura asked while Sarada took some of the grocery bags off her hands, wanting to assist her. She gave a nod of thanks to her daughter before looking back to Boruto who waved towards them. "Hello Auntie Sakura!" He greeted, sounding more thankful than polite. Sakura had taken notice, but before she could even question why he seemed to be full of gratitude, he was already wishing them a goodbye.

"I ought to go before my own mom kills me haha. The sky is turning dark after all!" Boruto chuckled nervously, before giving a wave to the two. "Bye then!" He spoke before zooming off.

"Did something happen with Boruto?" Sakura asked as she watched him rushing off, "He seemed odd." She added, before turning back to Sarada who only offered a shrug after she was done waving him a goodbye. "Who knows?" She sighed. "Some boys can be just so…weird." She didn't know how else to put Boruto's nervous behaviour into words. She decided to not look too much into it, it probably wasn't anything important, right? It was just… Boruto being Boruto. Nothing more, nothing less.

…

As Boruto sped off towards a different path that led him to his house, thoughts of why Sasuke hadn't told Sarada circled in his mind. He was her father and she was his daughter after all. _So why didn't he tell her?_

After considering it a little more, he decided to brush it off for the night. It was the Uchiha's business and not his. Although it would be a lie to say he wasn't curious about it.

* * *

It didn't take long for Sakura and Sarada to reach home. And just as Sarada had expected, her father wasn't back yet. Her eyes glance towards the clock to see that it was half past seven. _Will he be back late again today…?_ She pondered.

"He's probably having a meeting with Naruto. But he should be back anytime soon, I heard from Hinata that Naruto would be back early too after all." Sakura said as she took off her shoes.

It was scary sometimes, a mother's intuition. And at this point of Sarada's life, it wouldn't come to her as a surprise if her mother admitted to being a mind reader. She always managed to sense her worries. "If you're too tired from training today, you can go ahead and rest fir—"

"No, its fine." Sarada smiled slightly. "I'll help make dinner."

As the two females of the Uchiha household began to make dinner, it was unavoidable for the topic of Sarada's training with Kakashi to come up in the midst of their conversation.

Sarada relayed everything to her mother as they cooked, about the mini tests that Kakashi gave her and the final one-on-one spar. The only thing that she didn't tell her and chose to keep to herself was how her father's secrecy regarding his past and their clan had troubled and affected her during those tests.

As much as she loved her father, she found him _so_ unfair. She was born into the Uchiha clan, so why can't he tell her everything?

Once again, she found those uneasy thoughts beginning to settle back in, clouding her mind. And the sound of the door opening, followed by a familiar sounding, "I'm home" didn't make it any better.

"Ah! Welcome home, Anata." Sakura greeted as she began to take out the plates, having finished preparing dinner. "You're just on time. How was the meeting with Naruto?" She queried.

"The usual." Said Sasuke, and that was the end of that. Both of them knew not to talk too much about the things he would discuss with Naruto regarding the safety of the village in front of their daughter. They didn't want her to worry nor to be involved, and it was for the higher-ranked Ninjas to deal with anyway. "You didn't have to make dinner. You had a busy day today, right?"

Whatever Sakura responded with next, Sarada didn't hear. As the thoughts about the unanswered questions about her clan came barging back in, she found her eyes wandering towards her father, settling its gaze towards his left eye that was showing just slightly between the several strands of his hair that hid it.

A purple-in-colour eye with circular spirals as its pattern, coupled along with more than three tomoes. It was a unique eye. An eye that she couldn't even find in the library book she read about the Uchiha Clan. Then again, that book did have a continuation that was unfortunately restricted.

Albeit, she later came to know that it was called a _Rinnegan_ —however, whether or not an Uchiha like herself could get it, she was unsure. She didn't even know how her father got it, or why it wouldn't deactivate like any other regular Sharingan. She remembering asking about it once, and he only answered with, _"it's… complicated."_

"Sarada?" Her mother called her the third time which was also accompanied by a nudge. It was only then did she became aware of the concern in her father's eyes when she had been spacing out. "Sorry!" She forced a chuckle. "Today's training was just… exhausting." It was a convenient excuse that wasn't really a lie.

She made her way towards the table where her mother had finished laying out the food. Once the three of them finally settled down, Sasuke was the first to speak. "What training did you do today with Kakashi?" He asked before taking a bite of his spoonful of rice which was paired with some stir-fried vegetables that Sakura made.

 _So he knows?_ Sarada thought. _Ah, Mama or Kakashi-sensei probably told him already…_

"Kunai and shuriken throwing… he wanted to test my current abilities." Sarada murmured, and instead of eating she found her eyes trailing down and away from the spirals in his eyes to the missing arm. "We also… sparred." _Did he lose his arm in a battle?_ She pondered. She never really asked about it, she didn't see a need to when she first reunited with her father—she was already contented with knowing how much he treasured both her and her mother.

But as time went by, it was only natural for a child's curiosity to grow, especially when it was left with several unanswered and avoided questions. Sarada just happened to be one of them.

 _I wonder when he lost his arm..._ Thought Sarada. _And i wonder how..._

"Sarada?" This time it was her father's turn to call her once he swallowed down his fist bite of the food. "Is something wrong?" Sarada knew that her father wasn't as expressive as her mother, and if anything he'd more often wear a stern look outside. But at home, and right now, there was both a softness in his eyes and tone that contradicted those appearances he showed to the public. It was a side of him that only a few people got to see.

"Are you sick?" Sakura asked, a similar tone of softness and worry showing itself. However, before she could place down her chopsticks to take Sarada's temperature, Sarada quickly reassured both of them. "No, no it's not that!"

"Then what is it?" Sasuke asked, the concern not leaving his tone. "Did Kakashi push you too much?"

"No, it's not that either! It's just…" Her voice became quieter, she didn't want to tell, or rather _ask_. "It's just…" She didn't want to ask because she knew she wouldn't get an answer.

 _But you never asked much about his arm or Rinnegan before._ A voice chimed in her head. _There might be a chance for you to know more about your Papa…_

_But then again, to bring such a… distasteful topic onto the table while we're eating it's..._

"It's just I'm… worn out. I ended up destroying a part of the forest with my fist during the spar with Kakashi." She laughed lightly, making the decision to suppress her curiosity. She wanted to treasure the moments she shared with both her parents, as opposed to ruining it with a supposedly uncomfortable topic. _It's not like he'd answer now, anyway…_ She thought.

"Hn." Sasuke remarked as he took a glance towards Sakura, his concerned look dissipating itself away while a small smirk found its way to his lips. "That's not surprising."

"H-Hey! What's that look for?" Sakura responded with a small pout following after.

Sarada then smiled as she watched her parents engaged in a playful conversation. The mood around the table was still merry. She felt lucky of the fact that it didn't seem like her parents noticed anything wrong. Perhaps it was because their weariness was finally getting the best of them, who knows?

 _Either way… thank goodness I decided not to bring it up._ Sarada thought as she finally took a bite of her and her mother's cooking. _I shouldn't ruin any more moments like these, even if… ah whatever._

One could only wonder, though. Just how much more could Sarada contain her curiosity during moments like these?

* * *

"I guess I'll be going now." Sarada announced once she finished drying her cleaned breakfast plate. "I don't want to be late." She added as she dried her hands before making her way towards the door.

The following day had finally came, and just as instructed by Kakashi, she was to meet him at the bridge before their training would commence. And being the good student she was, the last thing she wanted to do on her first day of official training was to be late.

"Ehh? This early?" Sakura commented, making her way to the couch where Sasuke sat. She took a quick glimpse at the clock before taking a seat next to him. "It's only nine in the morning…"

"I have to meet him there in thirty minutes… it's a ten to fifteen minute walk but it's better to go early in case." Sarada explained.

Sakura and Sasuke exchanged glances, but before they could say anything, their daughter was already leaving. "Bye Mama, Papa! I'll see you later!" Even if she didn't say it out loud, it was obvious to both her parents that she was rather excited about her first official lesson with Kakashi. They only hoped Kakashi's old habits wouldn't dampen on her excitement.

"Should we catch up to her and tell her?" Sakura queried. "About… _that._ "

"Well, it's probably too late." Sasuke sighed, "And I think it's better if she found out about it by herself. She probably wouldn't believe us."

"You're right." She chuckled lightly as she rested her head on his shoulder. "But then again, it's been a long time… perhaps Kakashi-sensei finally cut his habit of being late."

Sasuke scoffed, "Something tells me otherwise…" He spoke, remembering the lame excuses for his tardiness that he had given to them when they were genin and under his care. "Well, we'll find out soon enough…"

Thirty minutes had passed since the instructed meeting time by Kakashi.

And then an hour went by.

Soon enough, a total of exactly an hour and forty eight minutes went by. Sarada would know, she was counting.

The young Uchiha untangled her crossed arms, one of them reaching up to adjust her glasses. And once she did, a menacing look that Boruto was all too familiar with (for he had been late on certain important missions and occasions, too) began to show on her darkening face.

" _He's late._ " She said under her breath, in an ever so vexing way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's notes: Sorry for the late update. And due to circumstances/busy life/school, updates may be more irregular. I'll TRY my best to make the NEXT UPDATE: END JUNE-END JULY. Or even earlier, if possible. My tumblr is: Rosaline-kei ; message me there if I ever ghost this fic haha T_T
> 
> I don't really like this chapter? I don't know, something feels missing but I don't know, and I don't want to prolong this update any longer. This chapter seems more… informative?boring? I feel like maybe I didn't express Sarada's emotions that well, I don't know. Originally, I did want Sarada to ask about Sasuke's Rinnegan at dinner, but after considering several other factors I chose not to. I don't know if that was the right decision though, haha.
> 
> I'm not really sure how much Sarada even knows about her father canonically/officially since it's not really explicitly stated, and I hope I'm not making her unawareness or lack of knowledge overly extreme.
> 
> Also, as each new chapter/episode of Boruto goes live, new information about the characters are given, and because of that, some information in this fanfic may be incorrect once that episode or manga chapter is released. So apologies for that in advance if I'm unable to keep up! Even if this is just a fanfiction, I do want to stay true to the character to some extent.
> 
> Please Leave A Review! Feedback would be great!


	5. Chidori —〈 I 〉

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick Note: Please read Author's Important Note Below! It's regarding UPDATE SCHEDULING.

_The young Uchiha untangled her crossed arms, one of them reaching up to adjust her glasses. And once she did, a menacing look that Boruto was all too familiar with (for he had been late on certain important missions and occasions, too) began to show on her darkening face._

" _He's late._ " _She said under her breath, in an ever so vexing way._

* * *

Sarada's image of the Hokages was nothing less than grand.

She respected them, admired them. Especially the Seventh, who had been the one who inspired her to embark on her own journey of becoming a Hokage. The Seventh even encouraged her to chase after her dream. Her mother and father supported her dream. She didn't want to let them down. She didn't want to let _anybody_ down. She wanted to become strong; strong enough to protect the village. She wanted to be acknowledged, because she knew only when the village acknowledged her prowess and capability, would she then be able to truly become the Hokage. She wanted to sharpen her skills, improve on her abilities gifted to her from birth and learn new things that could be of help to her future. Thus, she accepted the Sixth Hokage's help.

She had admired the Sixth Hokage in her own way. She had heard amazing things about Kakashi and his achievements from both her mother and others (In particular from her classmate Houki back at the academy, who had been a huge fanboy over the Sixth.).

He was a skilled man who became Jonin at an extremely young age. He was feared by Villages. He was an honourable soldier during the last war. He was the original, well-regarded Team leader of Team 7. He was the one who nurtured The Seventh Hokage whom she looked up to.

And this man… _this_ man who was regarded so highly among Shinobi world was… _late._

Not a minute late. Not a little late. Not just very late. But, _extremely_ late.

She was sure he probably had beaten Boruto in his own tardiness!

 _No, no Sarada…_ she thought, trying to reassure herself. _Something important must have come up for him! There is no way Kakashi-sensei would be_ this _late intentionally. Maybe I just got the date and timing wron—_

"Hello, Sarada!" A familiar voice greeted her, with energy and enthusiasm bursting in his tone. Looking up, she watched as Kakashi hopped off one of the shelters before landing on the ground in front of her. "K-Kakashi-sensei!" Sarada stammered, adjusting her glasses a little to double-check. Well on the bright side, she didn't get the date wrong.

"Sorry for being a little late…" He started, and Sarada listened. Because while one of her pet peeves involved tardiness, and while she'd always nag at Boruto who almost always found himself triggering her pet peeve, she didn't find herself _that_ annoyed at Kakashi. Sure, she was a little vexed at first at his untimely arrival. But she remembered that he wasn't just her sensei; he was the Sixth Hokage too. So surely, he must've had a good, reasonable and valid reason as to why he was this late—

"You see, I got lost on the road of life." He laughed light-heartedly. And in an instant, Sarada shot him a blank look; disbelief.

_What?_

"Is that… all?" She asked, as if prompting him to give a valid, believable reason. Or even a believable lie. He didn't seem like he was even trying to think of a good excuse.

 _Was this the same man who fought her the other day?_ He had been so stern with her yesterday, and now he seemed like a carefree Uncle.

"Yep. That's all." Kakashi nodded nonchalantly, and Sarada's eyes narrowed intensely, and for a moment she was tempted to activate her Sharingan to see if this was just Boruto's terrible sense of humour taking its shape; that he transformed himself to Kakashi to prank her. "Do I have something on my face…?" He queried upon noticing her intense gaze taking the form of a familiar glare he had witnessed from another Uchiha he mentored long ago, who had given him an equally exasperated look when he arrived late.

Upon having her glare pointed out, the young Uchiha immediately shook her head and relaxed her glare. "No, its nothing." She laughed a little nervously. _He can't be Boruto, he should be training with Papa by now..._ she concluded quietly to herself.

"Perhaps I arrived a little too early." She said, deciding to not press any further on the reasonings behind his tardiness. After all he was the Sixth Hokage, and he probably had to settle important things before he could arrive, highly classified things that he couldn't tell her. She doubted, and maybe was in denial, of the fact that his tardiness was all due to the metaphorical reasoning he gave her about being lost on the road of life. Besides, it wasn't as if this was going to be a regular occurrence, right?

_Right?_

Kakashi offered a shrug. "Perhaps." He responded _. And perhaps I shouldn't have re-watched the Icha Icha tactics movie the other day… I had almost forgot that I'm an active sensei again._ He sighed, briefly thinking back to the time when Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke had been genin under his care. He remembered how they were all irritated at the fact he was late for their first meeting. At least Sarada seemed to spare him her true fury, for now.

"What are we going to do today, anyway?" Sarada questioned, switching the topic. "Shuriken? Or are we going to work on my Sharingan? O—"

"Well," Kakashi interrupted, taking a quick glance at the sky. "It's still _early_ ," Sarada resisted a sarcastic retort that nearly slipped off her tongue; although if it had been Boruto she wouldn't have mind running him over with all her sarcastic remarks about his tardiness. "I would like to bring you to a place nearby before we start anything." He continued, before he spun around and walked off, expecting her to follow.

Sarada tilted her head slightly before catching up to him. "A place?" She asked, her brow raised, curiosity piqued. "What place?" She questioned, wanting him to specify. But to no avail, Kakashi responded with a mere, but weak sounding, "You'll… see." And it only made her curiosity grow.

* * *

The last place Sarada had anticipated for Kakashi to take her to was the _Konoha Cemetery._

Her eyes darted around the graveyard, feeling her heart sink a little when she thought about the several lives stolen during the Great Ninja War. Seeing the tombstones was a reminder to her to be grateful for the peaceful times that they currently lived in as opposed to living in a world consumed by tragedies back then. What a cruel and terrible thing, that is war. Future Hokage or not, she hoped to safeguard the peace Konoha now lived in. She hoped to never experience the tragedies and hatred that came with war, and if she did, she hoped to be able to protect everyone… her loved ones.

The graves also reminded her about her clan, about their abrupt annihilation.

 _What a cruel thing death is_ , she couldn't help but to think. _It doesn't discriminate, it crushes lives without a second thought._

"Why… did you bring me here?" She asked, her sullen eyes averting its gaze away from the graves towards her Sensei, whose own pair of greyish hues focused elsewhere while they walked. "Kakashi-Sensei?" Sarada called.

"Well…" He started, and she noticed how his earlier jolliness had transitioned into something more solemn and heavy. He then stopped in his tracks, standing in front of a grave that he frequented whenever he had time. "As your sensei, I don't want to just teach you fighting techniques."

Sarada's brows knitted, puzzled as to what he meant. And why that was relevant to the reason why he brought her here. "What do you—"

"Have you heard of White Fang?" He asked.

"…Yeah." Sarada nodded, recalling the few stories that she heard back at the academy. "An honourable Ninja. Well regarded and respected. Rumoured to have more power than the legendary Sannins at that time…" She said, before her tone became a little sadder. "But I heard due to some unfortunate circumstances, and betrayals that he was met with, he passed away early in his life." _Although, I can't exactly recall the specific reason behind the betrayals…_ she thought.

"…He and his teammates were sent to complete a mission vital to Konoha." Kakashi started, "And he came to a point where he had to choose between saving his teammates' lives, or completing the mission. And in the end, he chose to save his teammates."

For Kakashi to tell a story with a solemn tone, wearing a sorrowful and grieving look, Sarada doubted that the tale of White Fang he was currently telling had ended on a happy note. What he said after proved that to be true.

"The failure of his mission wasn't regarded well by the leaders of Konoha back then, he was practically vilified and made a villain by the entire Land of Fire." He said, "And to make things worse, the comrades he saved mocked him for not continuing his missions to the bitter end. Eventually, upon being dishonoured… all the resentment got to him, and he eventually took his life, leaving his only son behind."

Sarada's eyes widened, heartbroken and saddened by the devastating tale. "That's horrible…" She mumbled. "How… could they? Even after he had saved them?"

"People can be cruel." Kakashi noted. "That was a long time back. Admittedly, times have changed since then. Things have been… better." He said, and paused briefly.

"But even up till today, in the Shinobi world, those who abandon their mission are still regarded as scum by villages." He spoke, and Sarada recognized his mantra instantly, the one he had told them back when they were undergoing their genin exam. "But—"

"But those who abandon their friends are worse than scum. Right?" Sarada finished his sentence for him, a small smile forming on her lips. "I… understand that now." She added, recalling the Mitsuki incident when he had fled the village for reasons unknown to her during that time. She had almost, _almost_ given up on Mitsuki, and had attempted to dissuade Boruto to chase after him because she genuinely had considered the possibility that he had indeed betrayed them. And then, she was met with a question that forced her to re-evaluate herself.

" _Listen, Sarada…"_ He had asked back then, sounding so disappointed with her and her resolve back then. "The Hokage that you want to become… is it _just_ a Shinobi with amazing skills?"

Maybe Boruto wasn't aware of the influence he had on her since then—or rather, since the beginning. But at that time, he had opened up her eyes of how important and precious friendship could be. And while she still believed that there were time Shinobis had to set their emotions aside, she still understood that she could not just abandon and give up on her comrade and friend so simply.

Kakashi looked at her briefly pondered. "That's good." He spoke, before he turned around. "As long as you know and understand that, you'll be a fine Shinobi, Hokage, even."

Sarada eyes widened. It seemed like even the Sixth Hokage saw some potential in her. She felt a little more pressure; but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

She just didn't want to let anyone down.

"Wait, Kakashi-sensei!" She called when she saw him already beginning to walk off. There was still something in his incomplete story that she was just a little curious about, that she couldn't just shrug off. She was an avid reader after all, and she didn't like incomplete endings. "What happened to his son?"

Kakashi looked at her wide-eye in surprised, and scoffed slightly. _It wouldn't hurt telling her_ , he thought. "Well… at first, he didn't want to follow his father, and believed that orders should be followed to the bitter end, even if it meant abandoning his comrades. He was a real stuck-up brat." He started off, and Sarada frowned at the contrast between him and his father; but there was pity in her eyes, because to some extent she could sympathise with him, and she could understand why he wouldn't want to follow his father's footsteps, not after that traumatizing event. Albeit, she had a feeling that the ending of the story regarding White Fang's son wasn't purely melancholic. "But then, thanks to a particular friend of his, he changed his mind about that. Mm… I think he turned out to be an alright Shinobi." And she was right.

"That's good to hear." She smiled, glad that there was some sort of happy ending for that unfortunate tale. "You talk about him as if he's so familiar… is he your friend? What is he up to these days?"

"I wouldn't say friend." He laughed lightly, as he walked ahead of her. Calmly, he continued, "I _am_ his son."

Now, that was a plot twist that Sarada hadn't expect, nor did she know how to react other than showing a shocked expression that had sub-consciously slipped onto her face. "Y-You—"

"Now, come on." He interrupted, feeling that he entertained her questions enough. "We don't want to waste any more time now, would we?"

* * *

The next place Kakashi took Sarada to was to a more mountainous terrain; a canyon more specifically. It was an area perfect for what he had in stall for her later on in their training if she still had a sufficient amount of chakra and energy left to spare.

For now, he watched her closely as she threw Kunai after Kunai at the targets he had set up earlier. Her aim never wavered, nor did her strength as each Kunai pierced through sharply into each target. It was relieving to see that her focus had been more in tact as compared to when he first had a closer observation of her skills.

What impressed him the most when she decided to show-off a little. With her sharingan deactivated, eyes closed completely shut, her body positioning itself in its perfect and still form, she had almost gotten all bullseye for the targets.

That remarkable display of her skill reminded him of Itachi, her late Uncle. He remembered his own skilful display of abilities upon entering ANBU. The moment the members witnessed him spiral elegantly in the air— _upside down_ —and at the same time maintaining balance while hitting all the targets right at the bullseye, any form of underestimation they had for the youngest member diminished instantly.

He had no doubt that someone like Sarada could achieve something like that, with due time.

The next activity he had planned was a brief one-on-one spar. And the first thing he noticed aside from her sheer will and determination to beat him, was the fact that she seemed to curse her underdeveloped Sharingan under her breath whenever her genjutsu failed or whenever she was unable to dodge in time.

At first, Kakashi did wonder just how much could he guide Sarada. There was only _so_ much things he could teach her. However, after noticing _these_ minor things, it seemed that there was still a lot of room for his mentorship after all.

"You know," Kakashi first spoke during their little break after that strenuous spar, "For you to be able to use that level of genjutsu with just one tomoe in your Sharingan, it's already quite impressive." He added on.

"But it's not enough…" There was that familiar dissatisfaction in her voice that Kakashi would soon grow accustomed to. "…Back then, Mirai managed to catch me in a genjutsu. I wasn't strong enough to counter." Her eyes narrowed in frustration while her fists clenched in utter devastation. She felt a little ashamed just thinking about it. After all, weren't Uchihas well known for their genjutsus? And yet she still fell into her trap. But to be fair, Mirai had underwent more training than her, had experienced more than her—Sarada acknowledged that much.

Albeit, she couldn't help but wonder if things would've turned out the same back then if her Sharingan had been a little more developed, a little more sharpened. She had the same thought with Kakashi, who had managed to avoid almost all— _if not, all_ —her attempts at capturing him, trapping him under her genjutsu spell.

"Mirai, huh?" Kakashi pondered. "An undoubtedly skilful Shinobi too. She worked hard to get to where she is in the Ninja world now." He said.

"I know… and I know just because I have the Sharingan doesn't mean I will automatically have victory. And that there will still be people who can outsmart the Sharingan…" Sarada sighed, turning towards Kakashi. "But to not be able to maximise this ability that was practically gifted to me, it's frustrating. Especially after two years… I don't want to remain stagnant."

Kakashi saw the strong desire to improve deep in her eyes. The drive. The push.

She was earnest in her efforts, in her words. But in them, there was a tinge of burning impatience. It reminded him of Sasuke a bit, back when his drive for strength was for vengeance. That's where he and Sarada differed as genin, Sarada's drive for improvement stemmed from the fact she wanted to protect her loved ones as well as achieve her dreams of becoming the Hokage.

With that in mind, he wanted to make sure that her motivations would never become corrupt—which he doubted would ever happen, given the peaceful times they were in, given the fact that she was nurtured with so much love by her mother during her father's absence. Sarada's heart was at the Will of Fire, and he doubted she'd ever deter away from that.

And he hoped he wouldn't be a failure as a sensei to this Uchiha, like how he was to Sasuke when he was unable to set his mind straight back then.

"Strength takes time and patience." Kakashi responded. "And while it isn't wrong for you to want to improve on your Sharingan, understand that your strength as a Ninja doesn't just primarily come from your abilities bestowed since birth."

"What do you mean by th—"

"Anyhow," Kakashi had cut in. "Do you still have some chakra and energy left?" He asked.

"Yeah…" Sarada nodded as she stood up, stretching her arms and back as if preparing for the next set of training Kakashi was bound to throw at her. "Why?"

"You've heard of _Chidori_ , right?" He questioned, and the sudden spark and glimmer that popped excitedly in her eyes, of which erased her dreary and despondent mood a second ago, answered his question enough. It was good to see that her excitement to learn outweighed the bitterness she felt whenever her insecurities and flaws was brought up to her. What Konoha Ninja hadn't heard of it? It was said to be a powerful Jutsu created by him, and to her knowledge, it was passed down to her father.

"From yesterday's fight, it seems like you're familiar with lightning nature already." Sarada nodded. "But it doesn't mean it'll be any less difficult to master it." He mentioned, cracking his knuckles. It had been a little while since he last used Chidori, but regardless, no matter how much time went by he still lived up to his name and title of the Sixth Hokage.

"So, are you ready?"

* * *

"I don't think you're ready." Was the first thing Sasuke said flatly to the Uzumaki who begged and pleaded desperately to learn a new Jutsu.

"Ehhhh?" Boruto groaned, disheartened. But to be frank, what did he expect? It'd be a lie if he said he had expected him to jolly-well agree and let him master another powerful technique like the Rasengan. "Why not? Whaddaya mean I'm not ready dattebasa!"

 _Like father, like son._ Sasuke couldn't help but think, slightly annoyed. _Datte this, datte that…_

"While your aim in regards to your Rasengan has improved since the last time, and you're able to produce more, sustainable shadow clones for now… I think you should sharpen on your own skill assets and basic techniques even further before you think of mastering something new." He said plainly, his expression as monotonous as ever. "Moreover, your Rasengan still has ways to go."

"Huhh? Didn't you just say my aim was getting better?" Boruto frowned.

"Yes. But there's still more to work on." Sasuke paused, both his eyes tracing down towards his hand, particularly the diamond shaped symbol that was tattooed into his skin. "And there's your karma seal." He added. "A seal that we are yet to know more about. It hasn't acted up recently, did it?" He asked calmly, and Boruto shook his head in response.

"Nope." He sighed—perhaps a little too over-dramatically—, his own eyes focusing onto the mark engraved in his skin.

It had only ever acted up twice.

The first time was on a mission assigned to Team 7. They had split themselves up after agreeing on the plan that they thought they'd be able to execute without much trouble. However, being a Shinobi, things always didn't go so smoothly. One thing happened after the other and he and Sarada had been ambushed while Mitsuki and Konohamaru were elsewhere, unaware of their comrades' current predicament. Outnumbered, panicked, and the sight of Sarada who was getting hit and weakened by the ambushers that Boruto wasn't able to counter that well either, the seal acted up in the moment of stress. Blue streaks painted itself over his body, and from what he heard from Sarada, the hue of his right eye had darkened, blended into a different colour. It was no longer the familiar shade of comforting blue she grew up with.

He became more aggressive, and by the time Konohamaru and Mitsuki arrived to the scene, Boruto had handled the ambushers (albeit, a little too mercilessly, explicit details that Boruto had forgotten and didn't want to remember). Sarada managed to stop him before he went too far. Unfortunately, he passed out soon after. The rest was a blur.

"It seems to be uncontrollable." He grumbled.

Sasuke raised a brow, before letting out an unimpressed 'Hn'. "I don't think it's uncontrollable." He started, "You just need the will, the strength and the time to seize control of it."

"Yeah…" Boruto hoped so.

 _Sarada had been so worried that day, though…_ He couldn't help but think. As much as they argued and disagreed, at the end of the day, they were childhood friends, teammates. The first thing he remembered waking up to a warmth he felt around his hand that he later learnt was Sarada's. Sarada's warmth, her hand wrapped around his reassuringly when he came to.

He was happy that that was the last time his Karma seal ever acted up so ruthlessly in front of his teammates, and he'd like to think it was thanks to his control. But it wasn't, it was probably by some luck that it didn't decide to go wild again.

The second time was when Sasuke pushed him to his limits, in hope of getting a closer look at the abilities of the Karma Seal. It wasn't as disastrous as before, since Sasuke had been there to stop him if he ever spiralled out of control.

 _Thinking about Sarada and Sasuke-san …I should probably ask him about_ that _now…_ Boruto thought. _So I won't say anything stupid…_

"Say, Sasuke-san." Boruto said, there was a hesitance in him that Sasuke seemed to notice, but didn't comment as he motioned for him to carry on. "So, I was walking home with Sarada one day… and we were talking… and I thought she knew about it but I didn't want to bring it straight up y'know, since it's a sensitive topic… but then, well…"

Sasuke hadn't had a clue as to what Boruto was going on about, and he, at least at first, didn't think it was anything of concern. What he and his daughter chatted about shouldn't highly concern him. They were just kids, weren't they? He was soon to be proven otherwise though.

"What is it?" He asked, although it sounded more of a demand for him to spit it out already.

"Did you… tell Sarada that you once abandoned the Leaf?"

For the first time ever, for a fleeting second, Boruto saw Sasuke's expression switch to something more vulnerable, nervous and regretful before he forced it to settle back to his usual stoic look and calmness. Boruto could only imagine how much his past bothered him, and he was respectful enough to not press onto it any further.

"I-I didn't mention it to her or anything! I mean, I almost did…" He watched Sasuke's expression shift into something horrifying before anxiously continuing, "B-But I didn't! She seemed to have brushed it off as nonsense… which is, eh, nothing new… But! I didn't say a word." Boruto swiftly reassured, his hands waving in the air as if to deny any lingering suspicions of Sasuke that he had exposed a part of his past. "It's… not my business after all."

The only thing that answered back to Boruto was the gusts of wind that blew by, calming breezes that unfortunately didn't blow away the tension hanging heavily in the air.

 _Did…_ Boruto gulped as he thought. _Did I say something wrong—_

"…Yeah." Sasuke finally spoke, turning away from Boruto. "I didn't tell her." He paused, considered for a second and continued. "Not yet."

Sasuke was a man of few words. But with the few words he spoke, Boruto could understand (at least a little) what he meant. "Okay." He nodded. He was sure Sasuke had his reasons for not telling Sarada anything yet. Hell, even he found out about it unintentionally. Had he not get sent back in time with him back then, he doubted he would have ever open up that much about his past to him. At least, not now. And maybe not before he had told Sarada. However, he didn't have that freedom of choice.

Although, there were still some—a lot of things Boruto didn't know about him. About what happened after he left the village, after he chose the life of a rogue Ninja… an avenger.

"Ya'know, I messed up in front of Sarada a lot…" He suddenly said, feeling a need to reassure his mentor. "But she has a forgiving heart… at least, after she nags at me." He said, a small smile cracking on his lips. "I'm sure she'll understand."

 _To think I'd have heard this from my own pupil…_ Sasuke thought silently. But what Boruto said was right, his daughter did have a forgiving heart. Her heart had been big enough to pardon his absence and forgive the terrible first reunion they had.

 _She may forgive me for the act of leaving the village…_ He considered. _But can she forgive me for acts I've done after I left? The lives I hurt?_

His mind drifted to Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi and many others. The lives he had hurt when he was blinded with nothing less than the desire of getting his vengeance. And maybe because Boruto was not fully aware of the events that occurred after Sasuke's departure, he didn't think informing Sarada was that much of a big deal.

 _And can she forgive the Leaf of the past? What fate they had once cruelly forced upon the Uchiha Clan?_ He pondered. It may have been in the past, and sure, things have definitely changed since then.

But history leaves scars, ugly scars that sometimes don't fade away or heal completely, and once upon a time Sasuke Uchiha couldn't just forgive and forget as simply as that.

* * *

Time could only tell how she'd react.

Sarada didn't have the time to hesitate, to waste.

Sweat trickled furiously down the raven's forehead and cheeks endlessly as she tried her best to control her breathing.

It was as Kakashi said, even if she had already mastered other lightning-natured jutsu, it wouldn't make mastering the Chidori that much easier. She had already lost track of how much time it was taking her to just garner a single spark of lightning in her palm.

"One of the major drawbacks of Chidori is the fact that because your body moves so fast, your vision becomes obstructed. A tunnel-like vision. Therefore, most Ninjas can't use this safely against an enemy." He had told her at the start of mastering this new Jutsu. "But because of your sharingan, you can overcome these drawbacks and risks."

Sarada bit her lip, forcing and focusing every ounce of her chakra to be channelled to her hand, in the form of highly concentrated lightning. Subconsciously, her sharingan activated mid-way as her body grew more tensed. Kakashi decided not to say anything for now, and just observed.

"Do not over-work yourself." He had cautioned after witnessing her putting a little too much pressure after her first few attempts, which he observed and knew it irked her because even then with her immense effort, a single spark or hint of lightning was yet to appear. "Push yourself too much, and it will result in severe and negative consequences that risks your life as a Shinobi."

It had been easy to channel the yellow-coloured lightning jutsu she was so familiar with, that she copied from another Ninja while she was on her own personal mission. Who'd have thought channelling a lightning of a blue-ish hue, that—as quoted from Kakashi—released a sound similar to a thousand birds chirping, would've been this difficult?

But Sarada didn't have any complains. She didn't expect success to be served to her on a silver platter just because of her heritage.

She wasn't sure how much chakra she had left, nor was she sure how she managed to last this long given her weakness in stamina.

 _One more time…_ she chanted in her head. _Just… I have enough Chakra just to push through one more time, I think—_

Her thoughts were cut off when her eyes caught sight of a tiny little spark that began to form in her hand. She grew excited. Exhilarated. _I-It's appearing!_ She exclaimed internally, as she watched it grow bit by bit—that was, until the rebellious trace of lightning shocked her palm before it vanished after five seconds.

"Ouch!" She yelped, hand wrapping around the palm that received the hurt, that was probably scarred. Her Sharingan deactivated as any remaining form of Chakra disappeared into thin air with the little bits of Chidori she barely even managed to muster.

"Are you hurt?" Kakashi sprinted towards her, worried upon hearing her shriek.

"N-No…" She stammered just slightly as she tried to catch her breath. Her onyx eyes took a peek at her palm, and they relaxed upon seeing that there were just minor injuries imparted by the lightning. She didn't feel faint, considering she hadn't exactly gone over her limit; she had only reached it. After all, what Kakashi had warned her about pushing herself too far doing this exercise had restrained her from crossing that fine line. "I'm fine…"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed, a little suspicious of her "I'm fine", but decided to let it go for now since she wasn't bleeding, nor was she showing any symptoms of pain. Although, he was at least happy to know that Sarada Uchiha knew how to control and not exceed her limits. _If she had went any further, especially with the unnecessary activation of her Sharingan, I would've stopped her half-way…_ he sighed.

"Alright." He said. "For now—"

"Did I do well?" She asked, and there was this fierce look that appeared in her pair of eyes. "Did I do _enough_ today?"

Kakashi stared at her, and he had trouble telling if it was her determination demanding an answer or if it was the insecurities hiding in her confidence, waiting to burst and erupt if he had told her an answer she didn't want to hear.

"How did _you_ think you did today?" He countered, his head tilting sideways in curiosity as he awaited an answer from the raven who had been caught by surprise, regarding his question.

He watched her eyebrows knit together before her eyes—that slowly lost the fierceness residing in them, as a new emotion took its place; something that Kakashi determined to be either uncertainty or disappointment—traced down to her slightly injured palm. "I…" She started, sounding rather unsure. Kakashi wondered where her confidence and unwavering determination from during her earlier trials had went. "I don't know… I mean, it seems like a failure." She forced a chuckle towards the end.

 _As your sensei, I don't want to just teach you fighting techniques.—_ Kakashi stood by what he said. He wanted to impart meaningful messages and lessons to her; something that he felt that he had failed to do so with the other Uchiha he once had under his wing several years back. And one of the things he hoped to drill into her was unwavering, resolute confidence that she seemed to have partially lost during the years when she watched her peers improve, while she believed that she had remained stagnant due to her under-developed Sharingan.

And above all, after spending some time with her, watching her closely, there was _one_ thing especially that he hoped he would be able to teach her, to impart on her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT UPDATE: EARLY AUGUST – SEPTEMBER
> 
> Firstly, I apologise for the late update.
> 
> Secondly, I know Boruto's karma mark's first 'breakout' was in a different moment; so there'll be a little canon divergence regarding that. I might change how his first breakout in this fanfic, depending on the future direction of this fanfiction; of course if I do make any previous chapter changes, I will alert you all in the next chapter or you can keep up with me on tumblr (rosaline-kei). (I also haven't kept up with the manga for a bit and this was written before new recent info-containing chapters were released. So, I apologise in advance for any inaccuracies; I'll change/update anything if anything in this fanfic is seriously off haha)
> 
> All in all, I hope this chapter is okay. And to everyone, stay safe, stay healthy and stay strong during these tough periods in time.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this! Please Leave A Review! Constructive Criticism is welcomed.


	6. Dissatisfied. Discontented. Disappointed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Please read Author's note at the end; involves HIATUS of this fic.
> 
> LAST UPDATED 23/12/2020 (Minor aspects of story changed, explained in next chapter)

**D** **isclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Boruto nor its characters.**

* * *

_As your sensei, I don't want to just teach you fighting techniques.—_ _Kakashi stood by what he said. He wanted to impart meaningful messages and lessons to her; something that he felt that he had failed to do so with the other Uchiha he once had under his wing several years back. And one of the things he hoped to drill into her was an unwavering, resolute confidence that she seemed to have partially lost during the years when she watched her peers improve, while she believed that she had remained stagnant due to her under-developed Sharingan._

_And above all, after spending some time with her, watching her closely, there was one thing especially that he hoped he would be able to teach her, to impart on her._

* * *

"How's Sakura doing anyway?" Kakashi droned, his lazy steel-coloured eyes taking a glimpse towards his student, who he noticed to have her back hunched, shoulders slacked with heavy eyelids that threatened to collapse. "Sarada?" He called out again, a little louder this time, when she didn't respond; her mind seemed to be drifting elsewhere, her focus wavering in reality. Kakashi couldn't fault her for that, though. The least he could do after the strenuous training session they just had was to cut her some slack.

"A-Ah!" She stuttered, snapping back to reality, "Y…You mean Mama? Oh… she's doing fine for now. I don't think she's working longer hours at the hospital today." She resisted a yawn from escaping, forcefully suppressing it before she started to stretch her arms; albeit it did little to nothing to help straighten her current weary posture that she didn't seem to be that aware of.

Kakashi found the irony of _this_ a little humorous, considering before they had left the training grounds, Sarada had pleaded—with great determined persistence and energy at that time, might he add—to continue their training in regards to Chidori.

 _Dissatisfied. Discontented. Disappointed._ –That was how Sarada Uchiha felt. That was why she wanted to continue even if the exhaustion had already sunk itself in. Because even if her chakra levels were completely depleted, the sense of unfulfillment accumulating hideously within her became a substitute; driving her to want more.

Kakashi was aware that a part of the reason behind all these negative emotions and perceptions that manifested within her, which took a small toll on her confidence and self-esteem, was because _she_ believed her progression as a Shinobi was slow—too _excruciatingly_ slow as compared to the rest of her peers. But something told him that that just wasn't the root of the problem; that that wasn't the only thing blighting her.

And he had an inkling of what, or rather _who_ , was the core reasoning of this insidious down-spiral Sarada found herself in.

 _Thinking back_ , Kakashi pondered, _Sasuke was similar, back then._

 _Dissatisfied. Discontented. Disappointed._ –That was how Sasuke Uchiha felt when he watched his teammates and especially, his greatest rival, Naruto, improve tremendously. He had failed to see his own outstanding improvement. He was always comparing. He started to feel like it was never enough, and that was what left a bitter taste on his tongue; what made him spiral down.

However, that wasn't the root of his problems. At its core, it was something much darker.

 _Vengeance._ His thirst for vengeance had acted as a catalyst, sparking an indignant evil within him that pushed him over the edge. It was an evil that eventually pushed him to flee and escape Konoha in pursuit of satisfying his resentment.

In that matter, Sarada was different. She was far from a vengeful person like how Sasuke was back then. But, was she still a competitive Uchiha when it came to the Uzumaki boy? _Yes._ However, her competitiveness wasn't corrupted by some malignant driving force, and as of now, Kakashi couldn't even imagine the rivalry she had with him to explode into something devastatingly ugly.

"Ahh, is that so?" Kakashi continued to hum. "I heard Tsunade wanted to steal her away to some _Onsen_ for a one-week getaway."

"Ehhh?" Sarada offered a weak chuckle. It had been a while since she spoke to Tsunade on more… informal and casual terms. She did recall her mother once begrudgingly agreeing to let Tsunade babysit her when no one else was available; which was something she came to regret when she came over to pick Sarada up to see her and Tsunade 'gambling'. "I think Mama will enjoy it, though." She remarked as her reminisce of the past came to an end.

In Tsunade's defensive, they were just playing _Shinobi Bout_. And the winner would take all the candy, not money. So technically, it wasn't _exactly_ gambling. Her mother begged to differ, though.

"Anyway," Kakashi continued, steering the topic back to the events that occurred earlier, in hopes to confirm the little inkling he had. "I know you accepted my offer to take you under my wing because you want to progress more as a Shinobi… but are there any other reasons?" He decided to be blunt about it, he didn't see a point in going about it in a roundabout matter.

"…Any other reasons?" Sarada repeated, and Kakashi nodded. "I guess… it's because I want to become the Hokage too and… well," Her eyes shifted towards Kakashi, and within them they held an admiration for the man—even if her reaction to his tardiness earlier in the day had said otherwise. "You're a great Hokage too. And it's not like I can pester the Seventh, you know…" She said, expecting Kakashi to understand what she meant by that.

 _Of course she couldn't ask the Seventh_. He was already so busy with Hokage _and_ family-related duties. And then there was Boruto, who she very well knew that he wanted his father around more. Because of this, she didn't have the heart to steal his time away any more than his Hokage-duties already did. She didn't have the heart to be _that_ selfish. She could understand and empathize with Boruto, albeit only to a certain degree, about a father's absence.

Both of them knew that _waiting_ feeling was.

It is a feeling where you fight the urge to take another glance at the clock after a series of stares because you don't want to appear suspicious; where you fight the urge to ask your mother about your father's return because you don't want to be too obvious; you don't want to worry anyone. And so, all you can do is wait—to sit and wait as that excited, anxious and horrid feeling begin to mix in your stomach, awaiting to see if disappointment or happiness was to be discharged once the clock strikes midnight. Then, you start to impatiently wonder if eight seconds from now, will that doorbell ring? Or will he choose to knock door this time?

But what made both of them different, what made Sarada unable to empathize with Boruto completely was that _at least_ Naruto eventually came home. At least Boruto knew where he was, where he could find him. As for Sarada, back then, such a thing was non-existent. Not to mention, at some point in her younger days before Sasuke's return, she had started to forget what he looked like, and maybe she would have if it weren't for that particular picture her mother always made sure to carefully clean, or her mother's gracious descriptions of her father's appearance that she told her when she asked.

Unlike Boruto, Sarada didn't know where her _Papa_ was, what he was doing. Even up till now, she wasn't fully sure what he was doing. All she knew it had to do something with protecting the village's welfare; protecting them, perhaps against those evil beings she encountered last time. And she respected that. She respected him. She loved him. She was understanding. Besides, he was around now anyway. And while they couldn't exactly change the past, Sasuke was undeniably trying to make things up now, in his little awkward ways that Sarada either found embarrassing or humorous due to his awkwardness. There was no in between.

That aside, Sarada just didn't have it in her to ask The Seventh to take on another full-time role, as her personal mentor. Especially not now when things seemed so busy for him.

"I'm a great Hokage, huh?" Kakashi laughed, and it was evident to Sarada that she had probably given him an ego boost. It didn't bother her that much; but perhaps that was because they only started training recently, and Sarada hadn't yet seen the true nature of Kakashi Hatake—at least, the silly and tardy side of him. She still had a pretty high image of him in her mind, he was a Hokage after all.

"But was that the first reasoning that came to mind?" He queried quickly after, and Sarada flinched.

_No. No it wasn't._

_How did he know?_

It wasn't Kakashi or Naruto or the thought of becoming a Hokage that was the first thing or person that came to mind.

"No… It was… It was…" Much to her dismay, a yawn managed to sneak its way past her barricade, interrupting her sentence midway. Kakashi took that brief moment to scoff, his eyes wandering about and he found himself grimacing at the minor scratches on her skin, the microscopic particles of dirt and dust that remained glued either in her slightly dishevelled hair or crumpled clothes.

 _Dissatisfied. Discontented. Disappointed_. –Even after all Sarada's evident hard work, she still felt that way.

"Do you want to stop by a coffee shop? Sakura told me you liked coffee." Kakashi mentioned, his hand reaching down to mess her hair a little more when she failed to complete her sentence even after her ungraceful series of yawns. And at this point, Kakashi couldn't tell if it was because of her fatigue that caused her to trail off mid-sentence, or if it was something else. "Might keep you awake during the rest of the walk home. A few shots of espresso might do the trick."

He watched as her brows knitted together, frowning. "But it's at _night_."

"And so?" Kakashi replied, unaware of the reasoning behind her hesitance.

"Mama doesn't really like it when I drink coffee at night… at least, not espresso… not after… yeah." Sarada didn't plan to tell him that one espresso story which led her mother to discourage and practically ban her from drinking too much coffee at night even if that was last drink in the household that could quench her thirst.

Fortunately for her, Kakashi didn't press on for the story. However, he did press on about accepting his offer, "She won't know."

She raised a brow. "What are you insinuating…?" _Should a Hokage really act like this?_ Sarada pondered. _He's acting more like an Uncle now… then again, technically, in a way he was until he became my sensei…but still…_

Kakashi shrugged, feigning innocence, "Who knows? I'm not offering you beer or anything. A great Hokage wouldn't encourage underage drinking, Sara—"

" _Sarada!_ " A different voice emerged; a voice Sarada instantly recognized. Turning around, her eyes immediately caught sight of Boruto and her father heading towards their direction.

Kakashi watched as her back suddenly straightened, and juxtaposing earlier, a faint glimmer was settling in her eyes. No longer were her shoulders slacked, her posture lazy. Her hands even instinctively patted her frazzled hair down, forcing any strands of hair that stuck out back down. She stood there firmly, like a soldier ready to salute. Like a filial child not wanting to let their father catch them in an untidy state.

 _What a contrast._ Kakashi couldn't help but think.

"Papa!" She exclaimed enthusiastically, energy zapping right back into her upon seeing her father. Her pace quickened, with Kakashi following behind who watched her struggling to keep her elation under wraps when she swiftly made her way to her father. He had let out a scoff soon after when he noticed a frown forming on Sasuke's student face. Disappointment practically radiated from him when Sarada didn't seem to acknowledge his presence yet despite the fact that he was the one who called out for her first.

"…Sarada." Sasuke acknowledged as he watched his daughter approach him. And while he didn't sound as enthusiastic as her, Kakashi couldn't help but spot a small, loving smile creeping up to his lips when Sarada reached him, engaging in a conversation with him.

It had been around one or two years since Sasuke frequented the village more; his _home_ more. He even managed to stay longer, missions weren't as long as before.

Yet.

Kakashi watched them chitter and chatter; taking his time in his stroll towards them. Perhaps it was because after all that time Sasuke had stayed in the village that the air of awkwardness stagnated between father and daughter lessened. There was a look of admiration as Sarada talked, an admiration that was much more intense and different than the one she gave Kakashi. And there was a look of pride radiating in Sasuke's eyes even though their conversation wasn't about Sarada's training.

While they undoubtedly became closer, Kakashi noted the little gaps here and there, the small distance between them. The awkwardness lessened, but bits and pieces of it was there. There was an element of tentativeness that sat between them stilly.

He watched as Sarada hid her hands behind her back, fidgeting with them slightly, trying so desperately to hide her 'failure' from her father's sharp and watchful eyes. The tentativeness of letting him know. He watched as Sasuke listened attentively, understandingly but quietly as he was unsure of what to say or where to start. The bits and pieces of awkwardness of the Shadow Hokage who Kakashi still believed needed to have his social skills polished—if only he accepted Icha Icha tactics' advice!

And then there was Boruto, who tried to butt in every now and then; who eventually with his bright and natural jovial energy dominated the conversation as he started to relay the things he and Sasuke did during their own training.

He witnessed the envy silently cloud in Sarada's eyes, how her hands started to fidget more behind her back before loosening in utter defeat when she saw the blonde's beaming and excited smile as he told her what he accomplished that day. It dissipated her envy, albeit temporarily. And then she smiled.

A part of Sarada felt it was wrong to even feel the slightest bit of envy when she did tell her father it was fine for him to train Boruto when Sasuke first told her about it. Sasuke did make time for her, he did still teach her things. Maybe not as much as Boruto, but he definitely made effort to make up for his absence as a father in her life—and she greatly appreciated that effort. So, what was there to be jealous about?

That he wasn't her _personal_ mentor? That she wasn't his _personal_ disciple? Or was her envy directed elsewhere? At Boruto's undeniable progress? His growing strengths and diminishing weaknesses?

By no means did she hate Boruto, what she felt for him was far from that. If anything, she was happy that he was improving.

_So why do I feel so—_

"We all had a tiring day." Kakashi decided to cut in, waving at the group. "Sasuke, do you have anywhere to be?"

Sasuke glanced at Sarada who shooed those uneasy thoughts away, giving him a hopeful look, hoping that he would say no, but to no avail. His frown said it all. "I was supposed to meet Naruto to discuss—"

"Well," Kakashi cut in, "I'll go in your stead."

Both of the Uchiha's eyes widened. "What? You ca—"

"I'm the Sixth Hokage." He laughed, mentioning his title as if it gave him all the power in the world to dictate Sasuke's meetings. "Besides, Sarada's quite drained from all her training today… you know with Chidori and all—"

" _Chidori?_ " Sasuke raised a brow, shocked at the fast pace of Sarada's training. Perhaps too fast, and that was what started to concern him deeply. " _Already?_ " He asked, turning to Sarada, wanting to clarify what he had just heard.

"…Yeah." Sarada nodded in confirmation, albeit she was evidently flummoxed by how worked up her father was upon finding out about her progress. Frankly, she couldn't exactly tell if it was a good or bad thing.

 _I wonder why Papa looks like that…_ She pondered as a hand of hers carelessly left the safety of her back, to nervously scratch the back of her head.

And then, Sasuke noticed the bruises, the scratches, the little blisters all over her hands and arms. At first, he didn't pay too much mind nor think too much when he noticed his daughter's slightly unkempt appearance when she went forward to greet him (despite Sarada's last minute efforts to tidy herself up) considering that was usually the result of a day in training.

But, now with the knowledge that it was a result of attempting to do Chidori, he knew her body ached more than what it appeared to be. And it wasn't just because of the fact that he had once been in her shoes, thus understanding the pain that Chidori could inflict on the user; it was more of the fact that it was all too early for his daughter to even approach the concept of Chidori.

Just what was Kakashi thinking?

If it weren't for a fatherly urge that began to wash over him; to accept Kakashi's offer and walk Sarada home instead upon seeing her so fatigued, he would have questioned that man's intentions of teaching Sarada something that wasn't technically within her capabilities just yet. Not when she only had one tomoe in each of her eyes.

"Woahh! Chidori?! Sarada, that's amazing! You should've said it just now, it's nothing compared to what I accomplished today!" Boruto complimented, flustering Sarada just a bit.

"I only just started…"

"Still… gahhh! I want to learn a new jutsu… I can't lose to you!" Boruto huffed, and Kakashi took note of the momentary shock and confusion that crossed Sarada's eyes before she managed to regain her composure to retaliate back. "Hmm… if you say so." Sarcasm was clearly laced in her tone, which then acted as the catalyst in their current playful bicker.

 _Must be nice to be young and youthful._ Kakashi thought with a sigh as he watched them bicker, before giving a nudge to Sasuke, then turning towards him. "I'll handle the discussion… besides, I doubt it's anything about… _that_." He whispered the last part, and then continued the rest in a low tone, "If it was, Naruto would've sent a shadow clone or something to summon you instantly, since it would be an urgent matter… don't worry about it."

Sasuke furrowed his brows. He had many questions to ask the white-haired man, although given the time of day, his daughter's exhaustion as well as the public and open space they were in, he wasn't sure if it was the right moment to ask. Especially when he had to be in an important meeting soon. And despite Kakashi's offer to replace his presence… well, even if it wasn't about _that_ , it didn't feel right to Sasuke to miss a meeting. "But—"

"Naruto will understand." Kakashi persisted, before then gesturing to Sarada who, while still actively engaged in the bicker, was starting to regress into her previous weary state. Her posture was fluctuating between being firm and slackened, she was starting to rub her eyes every now and then as a weak attempt to keep herself awake. And if anything, the bicker was draining both of their remaining energy. "If Naruto does mind your absence, and does require your presence, I'll alert you instantly." He added on, and finally Sasuke—upon seeing how fatigued Sarada was—eventually relented, "Fine."

"Sarada." Sasuke continued before Kakashi could say anything else. "Let's go… we wouldn't want to keep Sakura waiting."

Just that single sentence is enough to wake Sarada up a bit, ignore the competition of bickering she was in with the Uzumaki, and she turned towards Kakashi who gave her a thumbs up. "O-Okay!" She nodded and walked over to Sasuke's side, waving a goodbye to Boruto as they both silently agreed to postpone their bicker battle.

As the two Uchihas walked off side by side, Kakashi let out a sigh. "I guess my inkling was correct…" He muttered under his breath.

"Inkling? What inkling?" Boruto asked, having heard his mutters as he gave one last wave to Sarada.

"Oh, nothing." He replied, waving his hand dismissively.

* * *

With Sarada's bruised hands still hidden behind her back, she walked closely alongside her father in a silence that was in the middle of the scale of awkwardness and comfort, strange enough. She took a brief glance at their surroundings, Boruto and Kakashi were no longer in sight, the food shops and cafes next to them were lit up brightly for late-shift workers to indulge in midnight snacks. The sweet-scented aroma of caffeine flavoured waffles dared trespass the Uchihas, dared attempt to lure Sarada away.

"So… you practiced Chidori today?" Sasuke started, stealing Sarada's attention away from the tempting foods.

Her hands behind her back began to fidget more, fingers curling around one another uneasily, caressing the wounds she carelessly inflicted onto herself when she tried to imitate Kakashi's infamous Chidori.

She didn't know when or how this habit started; of her hiding her failure in front of him. Or if she was even aware of it that it persisted up to this point. But it did. Albeit, unfortunately for her, barely anything escapes Sasuke's eye.

"Yeah." She nodded, a rueful smile spreading across her lips before her eyes found themselves despondently staring on the uneven ground. "But I haven't made much progress…" She sighed, recalling the taijutsu practices she had beforehand, before Kakashi took her under his wing. It was an attempt to upgrade herself, and maybe her pair of gifted eyes too. Although, to no avail, both her second tomoes stubbornly refused to form even after those tiresome trainings.

"I mean, that's expected." Sasuke replied nonchalantly in a matter-of-factly manner, and before an arrow could pierce right through Sarada's heart, self-esteem and confidence due to her father's blunt and what she _thought_ was meant to be harsh words, he added on, his usual stern tone softening into something gentler, "It's… right now, it's beyond your reach." He stated vaguely, deciding not to mention to his daughter how one would need two tomoes to be able to fully utilise Chidori; not until he got some form of explanation from her personal mentor. He didn't want to fill his daughter's head with too many bombarding and bothersome questions when she was this worn out.

"But… if you are anything like I was, I'm sure you'll do fine." He said instead, because while now wasn't the time, he believed that when Sarada did reach that next stage of her Sharingan, she would undoubtedly be able to master Chidori. Needless to say, there was confidence was present in his words; the confidence had always had for her. A confidence Sarada failed to _truly_ acknowledge.

She turned her head, meeting her father's soft gaze, watching him wear a similar smile like that day; two years back on Parent and Child day when she had at first thought it was a failure of a bonding session between them. She was quick to take back her thoughts when her father found her training by herself after she had run off, and then later on showed off his skills before playing it humble.

" _You're amazing!"_ She remembered exclaiming.

" _But it was your shuriken that had hit the target."_ He responded, and looking back now, it baffled her when he sounded so proud while saying that, praising her when really it was him who was amazing. It was his support that turned the odds into her favour; that made her not miss. " _That's my…"_ He continued as his hand patted her head affectionately, but soon trailed off. _"I'll save it for next time."_

She couldn't tell if her father was being cheeky; and when she had asked her mother, she only laughed, finding it humorous at the slightest thought of Sasuke Uchiha being openly cheeky.

Regardless, she was still left hanging up to this point. ' _That's my…' what?_ Hopefully, _she really hoped_ , that that 'next time' he mentioned would soon arrive.

"Was I?" The next thing she knew, those two words left her lips without hesitance, without much thought when Sasuke was finished with his remark. Hope leaked ever so shamelessly right into her query; hope that he would give her an answer that would be able to satisfy at least a fraction of this infinite dissatisfaction residing in her heart.

" 'Was I' what?" Sasuke asked, with his head tilting slightly in confusion.

"Was I anything like you back then?" The hopefulness in her speech only intensified; but deep down, she knew hearing that answer she wanted was just wishful thinking.

Pride. She was Sasuke's pride. And yet as years progressed, with her feeling so stagnated, it became difficult to actually register that he was genuinely proud of her. It was easy to hear it and nod in 'acceptance'; but to acknowledge it… to comprehend it… it became difficult. And no amount of Sharingan development can change that; what _she_ saw and discern. Kakashi wanted to change that.

_You are enough.— He wanted her to realize that._

When Sarada saw how his eyes briefly widened, how his body momentarily stiffened, she inevitably took it the wrong way and instantly regretted even dare asking something she thought was so doltish and dumb when the answer was so obvious. "Ah… I… didn't think so, after all Papa, you must have been an outstanding… a much more outstanding Shinobi back the—"

"No." Sasuke interrupted, a heavy sigh leaving his lips, and Sarada could've sworn it was shaky; although she quickly shrugged off that thought, she didn't see a reason as to why he would sound so… anxious about this topic. _Perhaps exhaustion is finally getting to me…_ she thought, used that as a reason of her hearing weakening.

"You…" He continued tentatively, thinking back to the past. It was all ugly memories, however he knew that regardless of how unpleasant his past was, he could not and he would never dare forget. It was a past he had to accept and move on no matter how painful and hard it was; because nothing good would come out of it should he choose to continue grieving and cry about his past. But at the same time, it was a past that he could never and would never and should never forget. Never again, will he embark on that dark path corrupted with nothing more than resentment.

Then there was Sarada. While Sakura claimed she resembled more of Sasuke, he disagreed. Because Sakura's spirit was burning bright in her soul, emitting itself so strongly that it was practically palpable. It made it impossible for Sasuke to ever imagine she would ever be like him back then. Even if she were to find out…

_Even if she were to find out._

_Then what are you so afraid of?_ A voice rang in his head. _That she will hate you? That the distance between the both of you will become bigger again? Or that she will start to despise Konoha?_

_That she will embark on that treacherous path you once did?_

"Papa? A—"

"You're already better than I ever was," He breathed, and then forced himself into cool composure before Sarada could even notice. "…back then." He made sure his voice was level, rid of any hint of being distressed and troubled. It was strange; how while his past actions did bother him from time to time, it perturbed him even more so and more often whenever he was with Sarada; whenever she asked.

He was afraid. Sasuke Uchiha was afraid. Not even the villains he had encountered when he was away from the village had managed to force so much fear out of him. It was because that he loved Sarada very much, that he was afraid.

He watched as his daughter's eyes widened in pure surprise before a flummoxed expression began to sink in, although what had really caught his attention was how her legs started to shake slightly, or rather it looked as if she was trying to remain uproot, straining every muscle and bone to just still. While there weren't as many wounds inflicted on her legs and knees as compared to her arms and hands, it was evident to Sasuke that Chidori had took out a lot from her, and exhaustion was practically a gradual earthquake waiting for her to fall.

"H-Huh?" Sarada managed to stutter out after a few prolonged seconds, but even so her brain was still trying to process what her father had just said to her. She didn't understand. She recalled hearing from someone that by the time he had reached her age, he already had more than one tomoe in each of his eyes. What was he referring to? She didn't get it. Was it her determination? Or something else? She just didn't get it. Or maybe it was just a trivial comment, which was just meant to encourage her. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Dissatisfaction started to sink in, any trace of that happy surprised look began to morph itself into a rueful smile. "What do y—E-Eh?!" Fortunately, Sasuke's next unexpected move was quick to save her from another moment of writhing in her self-despair.

"Get on." Was what her father replied with after bending down low enough for her to hop on his back. She found it both flustering and absurd. They were walking in the middle of the street, with shops and cafes to their right which were still open, with customers indulging in a late-night drink or snack; they were exposed. It was embarrassing and out of place. Like last time, she didn't know where this idea even came from. She would've assumed he understood from last time, and wouldn't offer her a ride when she could clearly perfectly walk fine. Right?

"W-Wha—"

"Your legs are shaking, and while your bruises on your arms and knees are minor, it's clear to me that you're exhausted." Sasuke pointed out as Sarada flinched. _So he noticed._ Sarada thought, her legs starting to waver a little more when she realized there wasn't a point in keeping up with her 'I'm not that tired' act after he caught her. _Maybe I can't walk perfectly fine, but I still can walk… we're not that far from home…_

She didn't say this out loud; and it perplexed her why she didn't immediately reject his offer like last time.

While Sarada might not believe it, Sasuke did learn from last time.

That was, when he told Sakura about it.

Sakura had laughed and laughed back then upon hearing such a comical incident _,_ "And then she called you… _annoying?_ "

At that time, he regretted not listening to his gut to have left that information out. He struggled to craft a response good enough to defend himself from the embarrassment he was feeling thanks to Sakura's laughter. Although, his disgruntled expression accompanied by the narrowing of his eyes alongside a frown did little to extinguish the burning humour Sakura felt.

"Okay, okay…" Sakura said once she had finally calmed down. "I understand you wished you could do those things a father and a child can do… but you know, she's older and would naturally find it embarrassing."

Sasuke frowned, unable to understand. "You had no qualms when I carried you on my back."

"T-That's different!" Sakura exclaimed, before she threw a pillow right at his face—and of course, he managed to dodge. But it bought Sakura enough time to regain her composure and sweep her bashfulness under the rug before Sasuke could turn the tables. "It's just a sort of thing teenagers go through… but you know, I'm pretty sure Sarada would want to do those things with you too, I mean she always gets excited whenever the two of you have a chance to spend time." Sakura pointed out, a smile settling on her lips. "Perhaps if there wasn't anyone around to fuel her embarrassment, then maybe she would've accepted it."

…

"… _And,_ " Sasuke added on calmly, "There isn't anyone really around."

He was right. There wasn't really anyone around. And all the customers and shopkeepers in their respective stalls were too busy and engrossed in their own things to notice them, especially when they were protected by the shadows the street lamps offered, shining their light elsewhere. However, she was a Ninja. A Shinobi. And a Shinobi should tolerate pain and fatigue through thick and thin. Most of all, she already realized her father noticed she was weak, so she didn't want to show him that she was succumbing to said weakness.

 _No. Then say no, it's fine, thanks for the offer papa and smile._ She told herself, and yet at the same time, something inside her willed her to accept. She missed the chance to have a piggyback ride with her own father in her childhood since he was away; hell, even Tsunade gave her a piggyback ride in exchange of keeping their 'gambling' a secret (which, well, didn't last long. But at least Sarada got the sweets in the end, anyway). So maybe that's why she was hesitant to decline the offer. And the current circumstances they were in made it all the more tempting. No one she knew was really around, and the few people lingering around were minding their own business. It wasn't like before where there was a higher risk of getting either made fun by her peers or just being embarrassed by anyone, in general.

"But aren't you… tired?" She muttered.

"Not as much as you." Sasuke replied. "Come on, we shouldn't keep Sakura waiting…" There was an insistence in his tone that didn't go by so unnoticed by Sarada. "But… if you don't want to…" And then he started to trail off, as if coming to the conclusion that maybe this was a bad idea since Sarada was being hesitant, which left him to believe she was unwilling. _Of course, she's a teenager now after all_ , was what he thought as he was about to withdraw from his plan.

"Okay… I am a little… tired after all." But then, she agreed.

With one last scan of her surroundings to confirm that no one was exactly around to poke fun at her, she hopped on, resting her body weight on him as her arms wrapped around his neck for support. That was when her weariness truly seeped and sunk in, a certain tranquillity started to surround her, relaxing her. For a fleeting moment, she had forgotten all the negative things weighing in her mind.

Was this what tiredness does to someone? It made them forget? Or was it because she was enjoying this closeness she was now having with her father, that she didn't get to experience in her childhood? Or at least, to her memory.

"Are you comfortable?" Sasuke queried, his head turning back towards her.

"Yeah…" Sarada nodded, finding herself resting her head on his shoulder instinctively. "Are you?" She asked back, a yawn that she carelessly let slip following after. He only had one hand after all.

"Yeah." He assured, before he began to walk. "It's a short walk, anyway."

As he walked, silence filled the air but it didn't make Sarada any less comfortable. While secretly happy that she could experience and enjoy this missing moment from her childhood, a part of her wished this happened earlier, when she was a toddler. Because then, she could be more shameless in her requests. And because he was taller than her mother, maybe she could've enjoyed the breeze more at a greater height if he had been there. Maybe she would've been able to pop more bubbles that Inojin blew that day when Ino had invited Sakura and herself over for a picnic. After all, since sitting on her father's shoulder as opposed to her mother's would grant her more leverage to reach out and burst those bubbles before they could've escaped.

So many memories could've been made. So many chances of making memories were lost.

But it wasn't quite too late. While there were a few memories Sasuke could never make with the current, older Sarada, it wasn't too late to make other sorts of memories. _Like now._

"…it's the first time you carried me on your back… at least to my memory…" In the moment of vulnerability she found herself in, words like that slipped off her tongue, "It feels… nice." She remarked in a mellow way. Embarrassment was the last thing she felt, but perhaps that was because no one was looking. It was just a peaceful moment between the two. She couldn't find any other word other than _'complete'_ to describe this situation. And maybe it was because she missed out a lot of this in her childhood, and that was why this felt like one of the missing pieces to her puzzle.

"…Hn." Hidden from Sarada's view, Sasuke let a small smile make its way to his lips. He did feel bad that he missed out on particular things—no, almost her entire childhood. He didn't say it out loud, but it did sadden him that there were just some things he can't do with her anymore.

However, given the chance to change his decision to embark on that mission which created distance between father and daughter, which caused him to be missing for so much of her childhood, he still wouldn't change it. It wasn't like he didn't want to. He had _no_ choice. It was for the better world; for a more peaceful world that he wanted for his family and everyone else. It was cruel, but he didn't exactly have a choice. And after all he had done, he felt like he deserved it. What he didn't deserve—not after all what he had so wickedly done—was a loyal and caring best friend who remained so stubbornly by his side, a beautiful wife both inside and out who loved him dearly and a daughter who was so understanding and forgiving despite his absence, who respected and loved him, and according to Sakura, looked up to him with much regard.

It was unfair, he felt. Because Sarada didn't know…

_Because Sarada didn't know._

Shaking those thoughts off momentarily, his eyes once again caught side of her hands that were covered in scratches here and there. "…If you want, we can practice together so the next time you're with Kakashi… you would be more ready." He started to offer.

"No… it's fine. I mean… Kakashi's my personal mentor now… he's supposed to be the one making me ready… you know?" _And I don't want to trouble you._ She _does not_ say this out loud.

"…Hn." _Are you sure? It wouldn't be troubling._ He _does not_ say this out loud too, merely accepted her refusal because he wasn't her personal tutor; a boundary he can't cross because he wasn't her sensei.

"Do you think Mama's still awake?" She asked, finding it increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open. Her eyelids felt like boulders, and despite the fact she was wearing her glasses, the world around her started to blur every now and then. "I'd… like her to heal some of my wounds… before I go to sleep."

"If she isn't… I'll do it for you." Sasuke offered again.

"You know medical ninjutsu?" Amusement faded in and out of her tone, and the only one she could pin the blame was her sleepiness. "Even the… Seventh said he doesn't…"

"Not as well as your mother."

Sarada smiled, because while she was practically dozing off, she was awake enough to hear an impressed tone that radiated in his words when he briefly spoke of Sakura's abilities. "Mm…" She said, finally losing the battle to the weight of her eyelids which finally closed shut. Her mind wandered off, suddenly recalling that earlier moment which still left her in shock and disbelief. "About… what you said just now…" Yawns cut between her words, but she persisted in this losing battle and continued, wishing for an answer before exhaustion consumed her whole, "How was I… better than you? I… don't get it…" Her hands that wrapped around him so tightly gradually began to relax and loosen.

Sasuke bit his lip, maintaining his pace as he continued to walk towards his home that wasn't so far off anymore.

_Was now the right moment? The right time?_

He could start off little by little; baby steps. He should say something, right? It was only fair. It didn't have to be everything, not now at least, it would be too much painful, anguishing information to take in all in one night. But just, _something._ Because he knew that it was unfair that Boruto vaguely knew about his corrupted past, even if it was by accident he had found out. The fact remained, though. That she didn't know. Not one bit of it. Because he was afraid of…

He was afraid. However, hiding in cowardice could only do so much. And Sasuke Uchiha knew his daughter deserved much more than the cowardice and avoidance he had been showing ever since her curiosity sprouted and multiplied.

Little by little; baby steps. That was the least he could offer right now.

"…You see, Sarada…" He started carefully, stringing words into sentences in his mind, trying to find the best way to phrase what he wanted to reveal. "I—"

Alas, what interrupted him was the sound of faint snores. Taking a glimpse at his back, Sarada had surrendered to her fatigue and fell asleep.

He had thought for too long. Hesitated too much. And well, had a bad sense of timing.

He parted his lips, albeit no words came out. And he found himself unable to have the heart to wake his daughter from her peaceful slumber to just tell her something possibly… horrid. Not after what seemed like such a tiring training she had underwent not too long ago

… _Next time._ He decided.

* * *

" _Kakashi?_ " Naruto spoke when Kakashi had let himself in, his sudden and unexpected presence coming to him as a surprise. "Where's Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

"Give him a break." He said patronizingly, sauntering his way towards Naruto's desk, taking note of the reports that was somewhat scattered all over Naruto's desk. "Father daughter bonding." Kakashi explained simply before herding the documents together, picking them up as his eyes scanned through them. "Is this an urgent issue?"

Sighing, Naruto shook his head. "Not exactly…" He assured, a smile forming on his face; he couldn't help it. It was nice to know his friend was bonding with his daughter. It was nice to see and know that they were no longer so far, so estranged. Albeit, that smile soon settled and boiled down into a foreboding frown when he remembered why he had originally, specifically requested Sasuke's presence.

He hated doing _it_ , he always hated asking him to do _it_.

"I just wanted to ask him if he wanted to accept this… mission." He nodded towards the documents held, voice strained.

At the end of the day, he was the Hokage. And Sasuke, the Shadow Hokage. They were both honourable ninjas who would do anything to keep the peace in Konoha.

"Another?" Kakashi arched a brow before placing the documents back down. "Long term?" He added upon noticing the distress in Naruto's tone.

"Not exactly." He sighed, scratching the back of his head. "It's a C-rank mission… supposedly, it's not meant to be long… but you know how C-rank missions can become an S-rank quickly in a twist and turn of events… and upon further investigation, we found out there's a possibly that it involves…" His expression darkened, the mood grew grim between the two men as Naruto finished his sentence, " _…them._ "

It was frightening how fast Kakashi knew who the _'them'_ Naruto was referring to, despite the ambiguity and vagueness in his words. It left him unsettled.

"I discussed with a few others and he's the most competent and available ninja to get this done quickly, if it doesn't involve them." Naruto explained. "if it does then…"

"I know, I know." Kakashi interrupted, "It's been a while since Sasuke last accepted a long-term mission… and just when I thought he'd finally have the time to develop social skills." He humoured, a successful attempt in lightening the mood as Naruto offered a weak laugh.

"Perhaps that should be his next mission." Naruto responded back, jokingly. "It might be the first mission that he comes back losing. And it's one I will win!" A cheeky and victorious grin rose to his lips, because he knew fully well how absolutely outstanding his social skills were; if you compare it with Sasuke.

"Your rivalry is still lively, huh?" Kakashi hummed, and Naruto scoffed in response. "Anyway," He continued before Naruto could offer a retort, and while he hadn't said anything yet, the Seventh had his brow arched, having recognized that firm and decided tone of the Sixth; as if he had made up his mind on something.

What he said next was unexpected.

"I'll accept it. The mission."

Naruto's eyes widened.

What?

" _What?_ " Naruto voiced out his surprise. "Kakashi-sensei… it's not that I have no—"

"I'm not asking this because I want Sasuke to stay in the village longer before he has to leave for something long again. I'm just saying that based on the reports I glanced through, there is a larger possibility of _this_ being a ruse for something else bigger and worse, as compared to it escalating to an S-rank mission." He reasoned calmly, "And while the likelihood exists, the probability of this mission being directly connected to them is extremely low… and just in case if they do end up coming here, it's best to have Sasuke stay in case."

Naruto went silent for a bit, and alas he couldn't think of any statements to refute Kakashi's claims; the old man made sense. A ruse anytime soon wouldn't be an absolute shock to him.

"Fine." He relented, "I have no issue with you doing it, since you don't exactly need a rinnegan or a sharingan to complete this… and I mean, you're still my sensei and the Sixth Hokage…" He spoke. "I just didn't think you would since you retired… you becoming Sarada's personal mentor was unexpected."

"You heard?"

Naruto nodded. "Sakura came by to hand me some reports, and it just happened to pop up in our conversation." He said, "So what's it like being out of retirement and a sensei again?"

A smirk dared trespass underneath his mask. "She's less than a brat than all three of you were." He didn't bother to pause to consider his next statement, "Especially you." He taunted.

" _Oi—_ "

"Anyway, I do have one condition, though. I'd like to bring a partner." Kakashi interrupted, paying no mind to Naruto's exaggerated offended look of hurt and disbelief.

"Oi, oi, oi, don't change the—"

"The faster we finish, the faster you can go home." Kakashi reminded. "Your family's waiting."

Naruto grunted. _Kakashi-sensei, I swear…_

"Fine, fine…" He yielded in defeat; he did want to head home as soon as possible after all. He had promised Hinata not to overwork, and Boruto and Himawari that he won't work overnight. "I think Sai and Shikamaru are free… There's Sakura too, I don't think the hospital's been busy, and if you need someone proficient in medical jutsu, there's her… but if you think this mission requires someone who is more—"

"I already have someone in mind." Kakashi stopped him, and Naruto motioned for him to continue, his curiosity having been piqued in regards to who exactly was handpicked by Kakashi as his partner. "Sarada."

"Sa…rada?" Naruto repeated after a momentarily silence, unsure if he heard that right. While he acknowledged that Sarada was an outstanding Ninja with fine abilities, the last person he expected for Kakashi to choose as a partner was her considering she was still young; was yet to truly have a taste of the pure cruelness of the Shinobi world.

Kakashi nodded in confirmation, unfaltering as he repeated, "Sarada Uchiha."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT UPDATE: unknown; will be on HIATUS. (explained why below.)
> 
> Firstly, I want to apologise for the long wait; I'm sorry! And thank you for your patience to those who are still reading haha.
> 
> Secondly, I will be putting this and my other fanfictions on hiatus. Life's been getting a little more tough and stuff for me, leading to a drain for my interest in writing fanfictions I guess. Like, I still like writing in general, and I really do want to continue this and not put it on hiatus, but with the increasing dissatisfaction and decreasing passion (?) I have for my writing in general as well as some stuff in my personal life, I decided to go on a break. I try to update once a month, but I don't know if I can for the next month or the month after. Hopefully, my fanfictions will resume some time in November/December this year. I don't really want to leave them incomplete. I also don't want to put out lower quality writing and half-assed stuff so yeah.
> 
> Hopefully, if anyone's still reading this (lol), I hope you understand!
> 
> If you want to keep updated, I have two tumblr accounts: 'rosaline-kei' (more for fanfictions and doodles; maybe future Naruto/Boruto related stuff will be posted there.) and a new one called 'snkwritings' (where I post fake social media stuff between SnK characters!)*
> 
> *I know what you might thinking: It's hypocritical. However, unlike fanfictions where I have to write a lot of words as well as make sure that the plot does not have so many holes in it and makes sense and make sure characters aren't way OOC, creating fake tweets and such that won't have so much of a plotline as well as the fact I can exaggerate characters slightly is easier and not that tiresome? In a way I guess; I don't know.
> 
> I hope you all understand, and I hope this chapter wasn't too long. I hope I conveyed both Sarada and Sasuke well here. I wanted to show some cracks of insecurities of the Sarada here, but at the same time she can put a confident front in front of people like Boruto since he is her rival, more or less. I didn't want to change Sarada completely even if I am diverging away from canon a bit ((regarding the amount of tomoes she has)), considering I know she is pretty much a confident character canonically. Like, she knows she is skilful; which is why she is still relatively confident here despite her "slow progress" But, she is not skilful enough (in her eyes), which is where her insecurity starts, if that makes sense haha. As for Sasuke… man, we were this close to having him open up… bUT Sarada fell asleep welp haha. Upcoming chapters will most likely start to really develop the platonic relationship between Sarada and Kakashi as mentor and student.
> 
> Thank you for your patience and understanding.
> 
> Please leave a review! Constructive Criticism is welcomed.


	7. Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sarada and Kakashi finally depart for their mission, but not without a proper goodbye,

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Please read Author's note at the end; involves STORY CHANGES and UNCERTAIN future updates.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Boruto nor its characters.**

* * *

_"Anyway, I do have one condition, though. I'd like to bring a partner." Kakashi spoke, "Sarada."_

_"Sa…rada?" Naruto repeated after a momentarily silence, unsure if he heard that right. While he acknowledged that Sarada was an outstanding Ninja with fine abilities, the last person he expected for Kakashi to choose as a partner was her considering she was still young; was yet to truly have a taste of the pure cruelness of the Shinobi world._

_Kakashi nodded in confirmation, unfaltering as he repeated, "Sarada Uchiha."_

* * *

"And that's why I'll be bringing Sarada along for this upcoming mission." Kakashi concluded, after explaining the details of said mission to both Sakura and Sasuke, who he hoped were able to digest what he had just said, given the fact that it was practically six in the morning. It wasn't like him to be awake at all, not at this time, not when he was supposed to be retired. The last time he ever recalled being awake this early (missions and Hokage duties aside) was when he had to rush through his unfinished paperwork after unintentionally pulling an all-nighter to finish reading the latest volume of Icha Icha. But Sarada was still a child, and this wasn't a mission to take lightly. Thus, he needed her parents' consent urgently, since they were to leave tonight.

Because if it did involve _them_ , there was no time to waste.

"Wait… let me get this straight, so you'll be bringing our daughter to a C-rank mission that might escalate to an S-rank mission if it involves _them_ …" Sakura's voice failed in its attempt to sound calm. Already, Kakashi was anticipating for the eruption. The _kaboom_ (mostly from Sakura). He knew he shouldn't have bothered them this early in the day, but the faster he got their approval, the better.

As he waited for Sakura's explosion of concerns, he took a glance at Sasuke who had both his eyes closed shut; probably still processing what he had just said. That, or he was in conflict. Kakashi didn't fault the man, no one wants to hear that their daughter was going to go on a _highly_ possible life-threatening mission this early in the morning.

Once Kakashi gave a nod to confirm Sakura's statement, that's when the lava started to splatter out— a mother's worry. "Are you… Are you out of your mind?! No offence, Kakashi-sensei, it's not that I don't trust you but… at Sarada's current level… while I admit she has faced and won many battles with formidable opponents…she is not suited to fight _them_ , if they are involved. Not yet. She's still a genin… how did Naruto ev—"

" _If_ ," Kakashi emphasised. "The chances are low, which was what Naruto told me. If anything, this being a ruse is more likely, which is why it's better for Sasuke to stay here instead. But don't worry, Sakura…" His hand reached out, giving a reassuring pat to his ex-student's messy bed-hair, which he could've sworn became more frazzled and dare he say, porcupine-like when she heard Kakashi's preposition. "If it does involve them, I will make sure Sarada is out of harm's way." While the seriousness in his tone did soothe a bit of Sakura's volcanic nerves, it wasn't enough to convince her entirely. Sure, she did ask him to assist Sarada; she trusted him. After all, he was once too, her sensei. However, what he had just asked of her was on a completely different level on its own.

She turned towards Sasuke, with a troubled expression that Sasuke took as her asking for his input.

"Why did you choose Sarada?" was the first thing that left his lips, eyes averting away from his wife to Kakashi with a questioning look. "Why do you want to bring her along?"

"The same reason why you brought Boruto into another dimension… and back in time, too." Kakashi replied in an instant, receiving a rather peeved look from him as a response. Kakashi merely found it amusing. "Need I say more?"

Sakura's eyes darted between the two men, finding herself sinking in a momentary debate. She had faith in Sarada, there was no doubt in that. She could trust Kakashi to look after her, why else did she ask him to be her personal sensei? What was stopping her from giving consent was a mother's worry. She had seen her daughter come back mission after mission, sometimes so beaten up and bruised—sometimes so close to what seemed like _death_ that it pushed Sakura's mind into a dark place, forcing her to question and ask herself if she made the right decision. Having been a young Shinobi herself, she knew exactly how rocky and tumultuous that path could be like. She knew how some people could get lost on that path, how some people never managed to return or reach the end. It was an excruciating fact, something all Shinobis had to acknowledge, accept and for the unfortunate ones, experience and witness at some point.

And not to mention, if it did involve _them_ … then…

However, she was a mother of a Shinobi. She was well-aware of that for a long time, and was always, constantly reminded of that whenever Sarada returned home with new bruises and wounds for her to heal. She was well-aware that no matter how low ranked a mission that her daughter had set off to before, there was always that risk. That danger. That _devastating_ possibility.

Now, that same devastating possibility had a higher probability of occurring. That was why she couldn't help but hesitate.

' _If it does involve them, I will make sure Sarada is out of harm's way.'—_ That was what Kakashi promised them. And because Sakura had seen how far Kakashi would go for his comrades, she didn't doubt those heavy words.

 _Kakashi-sensei isn't the type to make reckless decisions… he doesn't do things without good reason…_ Sakura thought, running a hand through her hair as the inner debate of hers continued. _He must have a reason for bringing Sarada along despite the risk… besides, I can't shelter Sarada forever… not to mention if she wants to be the Hokage, I…_

Somewhere down the line in Sakura's thought process, she found herself asking this: If Kakashi believed that Sarada could handle the mission should it escalate to an S-rank, is there any reason I shouldn't? And that was when she found her answer.

"…You have my permission." Sakura finally decided, sighing shortly after. "Just make sure both of you will be back in one piece."

"Of course, of course…" Kakashi nodded, before addressing the other parent whose peeved look was yet to simmer down, "Sasuke?"

"…I heard you started to teach her Chidori?" While Sasuke's out of topic question struck Sakura as abrupt and surprising, Kakashi had an opposite reaction, merely nodding before replying with a simple and nonchalant, "Yes."

While his peeved look didn't disappear, a bewildered expression of his came into the picture. "So you should be aware that you need two tomoes to be able to utilize it properly, otherwise teaching it her now is not purpos—"

"I know, I'm the one who created it after all… and then taught you." Kakashi laughed lightly, though it did little to nothing to loosen the tension that gradually grew in the air. "I just wanted to… test the waters; to check something. But don't worry you two, I would never push her to do something that would be too overwhelming for her current skillset." He assured before adding on, "If anything, when Sarada has a clear mind, her Sharingan is keener than ever before, at least since the last time I saw her before this out-of-retirement arrangement. Granted, there is still room for improvement regarding her perceptive ability, however given everything I've seen from her and know about, I'd have almost guessed those two tomoes had appeared already, at least in one eye. I'm surprised it hasn't yet evolved, despite everything she had went through… then again, even though there are still brutal enemies lurking around, Konoha is still more peaceful than it was before as of now. Perhaps that could be one of the reasons, with the lack of such extreme predicaments… not that it's a bad thing, of course."

"She just needs a little push." _And a confidence boost._ Kakashi thought, albeit not aloud; deciding that they need not know how dissatisfied and discontented her daughter could be. After all, it wasn't like that sort of despondent attitude was going to continue, Kakashi would make sure of it.

On the other note, it wasn't that Sasuke doubted Kakashi, not at all. Aside from a few instances that made him question Kakashi's entire being (like when he introduced to him that Icha Icha novel to help better things with his daughter; a memory he wished he could forget when he found out what that entire series was truly about, at its core), he respected the man. And judging from Kakashi's expression and firmness, Sasuke decided not to probe any further. Kakashi had his own methods. Besides, he knew that Kakashi would never do anything that could harm his daughter in any way.

Clearing his throat, Kakashi continued, "Well then, so—"

"Why did you come out of retirement?" Was Sasuke's next question. It still perplexed him. The old man had been so utterly overjoyed when he could finally retire, travelling to one vacation spot to another, occasionally with one of his closest friends—Gai—to view the attractions related to the Icha Icha series. While he did return to Konoha to fulfill Shinobi-related duties whenever required of him or when disaster fell upon the town, nobody would've expected for him to dedicate himself to a student again. He had looked so liberated when he didn't have to look after brats (as he'd call it) full-time, again. Yet…

"Again, it's the same reason you took Boruto under your wing and…" He paused for a moment, pondering how he should phrase the rest of his reasonings in a proper manner, that wouldn't stress the father of his current pupil. Although, when he came to the conclusion that it was better to let things unfold and explain for itself, rather than have him word-for-word relay his future expectations, he continued with, "And a bit more."

"' _a bit more'_?" Sasuke queried with a frown, unsure as to what he meant.

"A bit more." Kakashi repeated, grinning as he made his way towards Sasuke, giving a light pat on his shoulder before taking a step past him. While his expression was no longer that visible to them; the sudden shift in atmosphere in the second he took that step had informed the both of them that the grin underneath his mask had vanished, morphing into something else… resolute and solemn. "Don't worry, Sasuke. At the final lap, I'll leave it all up to you."

Sasuke's brows knitted, confused as to what he meant by 'the final lap', because he certainly didn't mean racing or running, did he? Wanting to clear his puzzlement, he parted his lips with a question prepared to shoot at him, "Wha—"

"Oh, Sarada is that you?" However, he was cut off by Kakashi, whose chirpiness resumed and shooed off the previous serious tone he had adopted. The unnatural instant shift back to the lighthearted atmosphere unsettled Sasuke, who still couldn't quite understand Kakashi's words. Sakura on the other hand, turned around upon taking notice of the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs, which was then followed by a shadowy figure that grew clearer when she approached the crowd of three.

"Mama…? Papa…?" Sarada yawned, rubbing her eyes tiredly before she wiped her glasses on the edge of her baggy pajamas. "What are y— K-K-KAKASHI-SENSIE?!" Sarada gasped when her eyes caught sight the white-haired man once she had her glasses on. No wonder she heard a stranger's voice; she had originally thought either one of her parents had a sore throat.

"Good morning, Sarada!" Kakashi laughed as he watched the girl speechless, then embarrassed in the way she presented herself, and then a sort of worry started looming over her. "W-Wait, was there training t—"

"Nope, I'm just here to ask for your parents' permission to bring you along this next mission I'm going on." Kakashi reassured.

"Mission…?" Sarada repeated, and once that finally processed, her sleepy eyes suddenly enlarged, glimmering and sparkling in pure excitement. "A mission?!" She gasped. "With just you and me? No Konohamaru-sensei, no Mitsuki and no Boruto?"

Kakashi nodded. "Indeed. I just an 'Okay' from your father."

Sasuke watched as Sarada's focus shifted to him, and while he and his daughter didn't exchange any words, that pleading, sparkling look in her eyes said it all. And he wasn't sure if it was just the morning's exhaustion that sparked this hallucination, but he could've sworn he heard Sarada's voice echoing in his head, begging and pestering him to say yes.

He exchanged a look with Sakura, who only wore a smile and nodded.

"It's alright," He mumbled, still bothered about the meaning behind the masked man's words that he didn't get. "She can go."

* * *

"Ehhhh? That's unfair!" Boruto huffed. "You get to go on such an exciting mission with that Old Man Kakashi? Can't we come along?" He groaned, gesturing to Mitsuki as he prepared to pull out that 'we are a team, aren't we?' card.

"I mean, we are a team, right Sara—"

Needless to say, Sarada expected this sort of reaction from her fellow blonde comrade. Not to mention, she could already imagine an even more exaggerated reaction from him had she disclosed the complete details of the mission to him. Whether it be for the better or worse, Sarada wasn't permitted to disclose all the information about the mission to them just yet. It was a request from Kakashi that she chose to respect, and thus left some important details out of her speech when relaying the news to Boruto.

That aside, she was already prepared to retort back the moment he would pull out that 'we are a team, aren't we?' card which was a vain attempt to guilt-trip her. Though before she could counter with said retorts, Mitsuki came to her immediate defense. "But Boruto, didn't you and Sarada's father also—"

"Oi Mitsuki!" Boruto chided, arms crossed when faced with the unexpected betrayal of one of his closest friends. "Whose side are you on?"

"Nobody's," Mitsuki smiled, finding Boruto's envy amusing and difficult to understand, given that the Uzumaki had his fair share of adventure-filled missions that he nor Sarada were directly involved. Then again, perhaps it was because of his undying hunger for those exact adventure-filled missions that made him a little greedy. After all, it was those missions that would make him stronger. He didn't like missing out on them. "Just merely stating facts… besides, I think this would be a good opportunity for Sarada's own development… she has been restless for quite some time. Strangely, more restless than you this time around." He added.

"Mitsuki…" Sarada said, grateful for his defending statement. _So he had noticed, huh?_ Sarada thought, surprised at his observance. _Restlessness… well… that's definitely one way to put it._

True enough, during these past two years she was restless. She wanted to advance so badly. She desired for her Sharingan to advance.

But it didn't.

It was like she was almost there, Sarada could feel it. However, when the results failed to show in the form of a second tomoe, everything would suddenly feel so far away; at a distance that she couldn't reach. Though, now that Kakashi was her personal mentor… maybe that feeling would change. Maybe the outcome could be different.

"Maybe after this mission…" Sarada muttered, catching the attention of both her teammates. "My Sharingan… will become stronger… and then…" Her eyes trailed away from Mitsuki, instead settling on Boruto—the Shinobi she considered as her rival.

The blonde only looked at her cluelessly, waiting for her to continue her sentence. And when she didn't, when her stare prolonged, he was about to voice out something sarcastic and whatnot; or mention how weird she was being in that all too familiar joking tone.

Then, Sarada abruptly moved closer to him. Too close.

He felt his cheeks warming, as his childhood friend inched closer to him. Not to mention, there was what Boruto liked to call 'Mitsuki's shit-eating grin' that didn't help make the situation any better.

"O-Oi Sarada wha—"

"And then just you wait, Boruto!" She exclaimed, her arm extending before one of her fingers stuck out, pressing against his chest; challenging him. But all Boruto was currently focused on were her onyx eyes that looked at him with such determination for something his brain didn't have enough time to discern. And then there was that equally determined smile of hers; shining as brightly as the sun. _She_ was shining. "I'll beat you, especially if you choose to slack while I'm gone!" She smirked, finally taking a step back, allowing the poor flustered blonde air to breathe.

"Sarada, you're merciless, huh?" Mitsuki chuckled, to which Sarada only tilted her head in confusion, not understanding what he was referring to. "What do you—"

"I-If anything _you_ shouldn't slack!" was Boruto's immediate reaction after Sarada freed him, his mind still somewhat in a daze. "K-Kakashi's an old man already! Ya better not leave everything up to him, 'dattebasa!" _Why am I stuttering?!_ Boruto thought helplessly.

"Huh?!" Sarada shot him a glare that he was all too familiar with. Boruto gulped as he watched that shining expression twist into something frightening. Instead of glowing, she was glowering. And as opposed to coming in between them to extinguish the burning flames, Mitsuki chose to instead watch the two of them at the side, finding the scenario before him quite entertaining.

"Me? Slacking?" Sarada scoffed, as Boruto raised his hands up frantically in defense. "S-Sarada, I was just j-jok—" He was cut off not by a verbal response, but rather the glare that was so sharp he could've sworn he felt a kunai aimed right at his neck. Honestly, given the instances of carelessness he had in both words and missions, he wondered how he ever survived the wrath of Sarada…

"Do you even know—"

"Sarada."

A new voice emerged into the conversation, before the owner himself emerged from the shadows of the forest. It took Sarada less than a second to recognize who it was.

"Papa?!" Sarada's glare simmered down to a warm and welcoming smile, turning away from Boruto as she sprinted towards her beloved father.

 _Thank you… Sasuke-san…_ Boruto thought to himself, nearly falling flat onto the grass field if it weren't for Mitsuki's swift catch.

"I thought you were meeting with the Seventh?"

"It ended early." Sasuke answered as he took a glimpse at the scene behind his daughter, where he saw Boruto who looked like he had just seen a ghost, along with Mitsuki who was lecturing him about something Sasuke wasn't sure if he wanted to know. "Are you… busy?" He asked, gesturing to the chaos behind.

Sarada shook her head, chuckling innocently (though to Boruto, who was still recovering from what he believed was a life-threatening situation, her chuckle sounded more devious than anything). "Nope, not at all! Why? Did something happen?" She asked.

"Not really." Sasuke said, "If you're free, I'd like to show you something before you depart tonight."

"Of course!" The young girl exclaimed elatedly, wondering if her father was going to teach her a new trick that could come in useful for the mission, or to impress Kakashi. "I'll see you later then, Boruto, Mitsuki!" Sarada said, waving towards her two teammates before following Sasuke to another more suitable location.

Mitsuki waved back, so did Boruto; albeit it looked as if his arms were flailing. It was clear to Mitsuki that the blonde was still shaken up about the incident earlier. "I'm surprised you said that Boruto, I thought you would be the first one to acknowledge that Sarada would never slack." He spoke nonchalantly, before enquiring with much curiosity, "Also, aren't you tired of facing Sarada's wrath?"

"Ahhh give me a break, Mitsuki! It was just… in the heat of the moment…and well… that's besides the point!" Boruto grumbled, acknowledging his poor choice of words when replying to the Uchiha. Although, he stubbornly refused to accept the full blame, why did she had to get so close to him anyway? Because of that, his mind became clouded and there was a strange, odd feeling swirling in his stomach that he _even_ _more_ weirdly didn't hate that much. "And what was with that stupid grin just now?! She was suffocating me!"

"So?" Mitsuki chuckled, wearing that same grin that frustrated Boruto—and it did so, again. "Sometimes you suffocate her, but I don't interfere too often." He smiled, recalling a few times how it was Boruto instead that got too close to her, like that one instance where he confidently proclaimed how he wanted to be by her side when she became Hokage.

"What's that supposed to mea—"

"Ah, also, maybe we could gift Sarada something before she leaves. That's the considerate and respectful gesture for 'well wishes', right?" Mitsuki suggested, remembering how they had previously gifted Konohamaru as a means to wish him well while he was still recovering from his sickness. "Especially since she did say she wouldn't know when she would be returning after all."

While Boruto didn't like how Mitsuki snuck past his question, he decided to dismiss it for now, now that they had a new task at hand. "I know, I know…" He sighed, having had similar thoughts to Mitsuki when Sarada had announced the mission she was going for an indefinite amount of time. "Though… we don't exactly have much time… it's so last minute…"

 _What will… Sarada like?_ Boruto pondered long and hard. He knew a couple of things that Sarada liked: tea-based foods, cute things like keychains and whatnot. Despite knowing these things about, he didn't feel like it was suitable for the occasion. Something was missing. _Come on, Boruto… think, think, th—_

That's when it hit him.

"AH!" He exclaimed, startling Mitsuki a bit. "That's it!"

* * *

"What did you want to show me, Papa?" Sarada questioned inquisitively as she trailed behind her father, who led her to a rather spacious area, with a large lake that stretched quite a distance. Sarada's eyes darted around, spotting a few old and worn-out targets left lying around, practically crippling from previous Shinobis' practice shots. It didn't take her long to come to the conclusion that this was a training space, which could only mean—

Before her curiosity could take the shape of exhilaration upon realizing what or rather, why her father brought her here, Sasuke started to speak, "The mission… you're aware of the possible dangers, right?"

Sarada nodded. "I am. The probability is low according to Kakashi-sensei, but I know I shouldn't let my guard down." To be honest, she didn't completely understand why Kakashi had chosen her to be his partner in this mission rather than selecting the many skilled Jonin who resided in Konoha. Sure, as he had mentioned beforehand that it was highly unlikely that they'd bump into them. But, even with the littlest possibility… no one would willingly assign a genin to something like this, right? A possibility was still a possibility, no matter how small—it still had the chance of happening. Albeit, when she attempted to ask Kakashi when he had paid a visit to the Uchiha's residence, he had already bid his farewell and left to prepare.

Regardless, with that probability or not, if the Sixth Hokage believed that she could do it, she would live up to that expectation. She wasn't going to turn such an opportunity down.

Sasuke switched the topic momentarily, "How's your Fireball Jutsu coming along?"

"I can now use it while moving, and I don't have an issue with changing the direction of the flames anymore…" Sarada spoke, "But, sometimes when the fight gets too intense, or if the situation is stressful… I have the issue of blowing out too much flame, so there's the problem of control during such predicaments…which results in chakra being wasted." Towards the end, bitterness noticeably grew in her tone. She didn't like when her recklessness would blind her senses and logic during fights; it always resulted in a wasteful drainage of her chakra. And she didn't like how her reason for an occurrence like that was because she couldn't help it—because she could.

Her mother had once told her that she struggled in chakra control, and day by day while she had been working in her offence, she had become more aware of this weakness. It wasn't like she didn't try to improve on it, because she did. And gradually, it _did_ improve. Slightly. However, with new missions coming in her way, as well as that impatience that crept back when her Sharingan's evolvement became stagnant, her focus averted elsewhere. She lost control. For that, she was apologetic towards her mother who she felt she had disappointed.

Now with Kakashi as her sensei, one could only hope that he would help her with balance; along with patience.

Turning around to face his daughter, Sasuke said, "Let's work on that, then." Briefly glancing at the sky, he continued, "There's still some time."

Any feelings of gloom that dared invade her expression had now fleeted, a cheerful smile now taking its place. It had been a while since her father last trained with her personally. "Really?"

"Of course." Seeing his only child smile was rather infectious, for a smile of his own appeared on his lips. Unfortunately, it faded after a moment, upon remembering the other thing that he had wanted to remind Sarada. For that, his smile settled into something grave. "After all… you shouldn't—you _can't_ use Chidori." He paused, before emphasizing, "Not now."

Sarada frowned, not understanding what Sasuke meant by that. Of course, since she currently hadn't yet master Chidori, she was unable to utilize it yet. That was a given. However, something told her that wasn't what her father meant. "What—"

"For Chidori… you need at least two tomoes in both your eyes to be able to _thoroughly_ comprehend your surroundings. Otherwise, you'll have tunnel-vision, and you won't be able to see your opponents. It's a liability" He stated flatly.

Sarada flinched. _Two tomoes, huh? Well, at least now I know why Papa looked so shocked the other day when he found out..._

Once again, she was reminded just how far that next step was, and how much further the finishing line was. It sent an irksome feeling down her throat, diving and then swimming around her stomach tauntingly, _mockingly_.

"Then… why did Kakashi-sensei…?"

"I don't know." Sasuke sighed. "He's aware of this but…perhaps he wanted to teach you something, in his own… peculiar way. Either way, it's not something for me to help you figure out, or interfere… as long as he is not pushing you too far."

"Ah… don't worry, he isn't." Sarada assured. If anything, she was pushing herself too far, much too far. Though to Sarada, her father need not know that. "But… 'peculiar way', huh?" She uttered, her gaze averting down towards the barren land. She didn't know what Kakashi wanted to teach her by letting her have a brush against a power that was even further out of her reach than she expected but…

 _With one tomoe in each eye… what more can I even do?_ She wondered, biting her lip.

"Don't look like that." Sasuke sighed as he took a step closer to her, his hand reaching out to give a light poke on her forehead.

"E-Eh?!" Evidently, it was enough to blow away the negative thoughts that had been accumulating in the younger Uchiha's head.

"I believe in you, Sarada." Sasuke remarked, the smile from before returning to his face. "And so does your mother."

Touched by her father's genuine and supportive words, Sarada couldn't help but grab the area around her chest, having felt so moved. "Papa…"

"For now…" Sasuke said, deciding to get back on track since they didn't have much time left, "Let's work on your fireball jutsu."

With a soft giggle, Sarada nodded. "Alright!"

* * *

The fact that Kakashi was late _again_ to meet Sarada, this time at Konoha's gate, was more than concerning to Sarada in numerous amounts of ways. Even if it was just ten minutes.

First, she started to wonder if Kakashi—the Sixth Hokage—did indeed have a bad habit of being so untimely tardy, and if he did, what could Sarada even do? He was the sixth Hokage. It wasn't like Boruto or Mitsuki who she could reprimand them whenever they failed to be punctual and who still dared to come up with strange, lame excuses that made her wonder if they thought that she was that much of a fool to actually believe them.

But then, the idea that Kakashi had second thoughts in his choice of picking her to accompany her started to creep up in her thoughts, planting a seed that awaited to sprout more anxiety in her mind; to cause her more unsettlement mentally. However, any form of anxiousness and worry tied to those pile of doubtful thoughts soon disintegrated upon seeing her mentor arrive, strolling towards them so frivolously as he waved a nonchalant hand at them.

"Gee, Uncle Kakashi… I can't believe you have the guts to be this late!" Boruto scoffed, with that out-of-place pride of his for being the earliest one (along with Mitsuki and Sakura) for the first time in forever. Grinning, he turned towards Sarada expectantly, awaiting to watch her explode in nags like how she normally would in the case of Boruto's and Mitsuki's series of tardiness (though in Mitsuki's case, he had only ever been late if he had gotten entangled in Boruto's own tardiness); and maybe even commend him for his timely presence. Unfortunately to his dismay, while she did have that same glare she'd shoot to her unpunctual teammates, it wasn't directed at Kakashi—but him.

 _W-What did I do?!_ Boruto panicked, unsure of what he did wrong this time round. _I wasn't the one late!_

Kakashi tilted his head with a forceful innocence, 'unaware' as to what the blonde meant. "What do you mea—"

"He means nothing!" Sarada faked a laugh before taking a few steps forward towards him. Her lips parted, originally wanting to ask him for the reason behind his lateness. Albeit, she was quick to close them after having her mind changed. Something about witnessing how Kakashi had strolled into the scene in such a carefree manner without a sense of urgency, along with the innocent look he wore told her that she would rather not know.

 _Oh, Sarada…_ Kakashi couldn't help but think. He had been well aware of how Sarada Uchiha could get should her teammates be behind schedule. He had overheard about it from Boruto, and had even accidentally come across it when he was walking around the village, minding his own business until he heard a booming voice full of frustration that he couldn't ignore. To say the least, it was mirthful.

It wasn't like he wanted Sarada to yell at him or anything. It was more of an old man's curiosity to see how much tolerance and patience this young Shinobi had for him; the man who was graced with the title of Sixth Hokage that apparently came with a "get out of being scolded by an Uchiha" card. Back in the day, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were having none of his lateness, and would often criticize him for it.

"After all these years… and you're still late?" Sakura sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. Kakashi chuckled in response, giving a flippant shrug of shoulders that _deeply_ concerned Sarada. "I'm early when it counts. Besides, I couldn't help it today. I had to—"

"So!" Sarada cut in. She couldn't bear to hear any of it anymore. "We should… head off now. Before it gets too dark." She spoke, nodding towards the orange sky that was slowly being consumed with the spots and patches of dark, sleepy blue.

"Ahhh, before that here's some food to keep you full on the way!" Sakura exclaimed, as she presented her daughter with a neatly wrapped-up bento box that she had hidden behind her back.

"Thank you, Mama!" Sarada gleamed as she took it off from her mother's hands, carefully placing it in her bag pack. Granted, to many it was just a bento box, nothing that needed as much caution as someone who handled glass. However, to Sarada the contents within the bento box were just as fragile as glass. She didn't want to mess the insides up. After all, it meant a lot to someone like her.

"Don't just thank me!" Sakura chuckled, before motioning towards Boruto and Mitsuki. "They helped out too."

 _Boruto? Mitsuki?_ Sarada blinked in surprise at her two friends, having not expected such an act from either one of them, since they never seemed to be that enthusiastic about cooking. Mitsuki merely flashed her that warm smile of his, while Boruto, for a reason that Sarada didn't know, had his eyes darting around bashfully.

 _Is he embarrassed?_ Sarada couldn't help but grin cheekily as an urge to poke a little fun suddenly rose from within, which then left in the form of a playful tease. "I hope you didn't give Mama too much trouble… and I hope you washed your hands before handling any food in here, Boruto." She said, specifically targeting only him.

Boruto snapped his head towards her direction, cheeks reddening more than the setting sun ever could. "O-Oi! Why are you only aiming at me?! I can do some cooking too, datte—"

"Don't worry Sarada, I made sure he washed his hands." Sakura interrupted, joining in the fun along with Mitsuki who nodded in agreement. "Me too. We both made sure he did. Rest assured, Sarada."

"Auntie Sakura! Mitsuki!" Boruto whined slightly. He couldn't believe that they were teaming up against him. "I—"

"Thank you, anyway, Boruto." Sarada said, casting a brief glimpse at the bento box. _He must have remembered what I said last time, about what a bento box meant… to think someone like Boruto could remember something like this…_

Right then and there, Boruto noticed how her expression softened into something heartwarming. What he didn't notice, or rather what he didn't recognize was how his heart fluttered, and merely dismissed it as a chill from the cold evening breeze. "Ah, and you too Mitsuki!" Sarada quickly added. Mitsuki didn't seem offended that Sarada only thanked him after. All he did was offer a teasing look that came up not long after her realization.

The flush on Sarada's cheeks indicated to him that she knew what he was teasing her about, however in the presence of her parents and her sensei, she held herself back from explaining herself.

This little scenario in front of them didn't go by unnoticed by Kakashi, who turned towards Sasuke, giving him a nudge. "Were you aware of _this_?" He asked, a smirk of his own hidden beneath his mask as he gestured to the kids.

"Of what?" He responded, oblivious. All he saw was Naruto's son and Sarada's other friend who were considerate enough to help his wife prepare a meal for his daughter's journey.

"Ah… I see. That's how it is." Kakashi continued, dismissing the topic at hand with a wave of his hand. Although, it did little to nothing to dismiss Sasuke's creeping annoyance for the old man who had been leaving him unanswered questions the whole day.

"What are you—"

"KAKASHIIIIIIII—" An intrusive roar reverberated about that curtly cut off Sasuke's question, startling a few of them; even the guards that stood around the gate.

Kakashi was the least startled. He didn't flinch, nor did he give much of a reaction the moment his ear heard that familiar voice. "Yes… _Gai_?" He sighed, purposely exaggerating his dreaded and unimpressed tone as he lazily turned towards the direction of the source of the noise.

"Oiii, wouldn't it kill you to sound a bit more enthusiastic to hear and see your most formidable, number one favorite rival?" The sound of wheels dashing intensified as Gai raced towards Kakashi, and before any of them knew it, he appeared right in front of him. "Come on! Look happier! Even with that mask I still know you're giving me that _'I can't believe you are doing this to me right now'_ look! It won't kill you to spare some time!"

"Gai," Kakashi sighed, as he scratched the back of his head. "I don't have time for a competition right now, if not we might be late."

 _ **Now**_ _he cares about time?_ A certain (trying so hard to not be) peeved Uchiha thought.

"Of course, of course I know!" Gai laughed, before extending his arm to hand over a bento box of his own. "Just wanted to pass you this. I made half of it at Sakura's home but wanted to give it a _sprinkle of Gai_ before handing it to you."

Speechless by his choice of diction for a moment, Kakashi spoke, "I think I lost my appetite for the rest of the month after hearing 'sprinkle of Gai', thanks for the effort bu—"

"Hey don't say that!" He reprimanded, before forcing the bento box in his hand. "I channeled all the Icha Icha energy—"

"You two—" Sasuke abruptly coughed before Gai could even continue; resisting the urge to glare at him when he mentioned the horrifying word 'Icha', in front of his own innocent child. "—should get going." He deadpanned.

"You're right." Kakashi nodded, wondering what sort of evil the Icha-Icha series ever did to Sasuke that made him sound so full of malice toward it. One way or another, that series did eventually patch up things between him and his daughter, didn't it? Even if it was the sole catalyst of having Sarada calling him annoying; which was something that he couldn't help but find so humorous even till this day. "Thank you for the meal, Gai. B—"

"No big deal!" Gai assured, before shooting a rather challenging look to Sarada, who was a little taken aback. "Next time we meet, let's have a challenge between my prodigy's prodigy and your prodigy's prodigy!" He declared shamelessly.

"Prodigy's prodigy what now—"

"SEE YOU LATERRRR!" He yelled, before zooming off while loudly rambling about something regarding the fact that he had agreed to supervise metal's mountain hiking which was about to start anytime soon.

"Well… now that that's over…" Kakashi sighed, reluctantly keeping the bento in his bag. "Anything you want to say before we really leave?" He asked Sarada, who was still in a complete daze after witnessing that… chaotic scenario.

"Well, I do." Sakura hummed softly, making her way forward as she pulled her into an embrace that Sarada returned in a heartbeat. "Come back safely." She whispered, squeezing her daughter even more tightly into the hug.

"M-Mama, too tight—"

"A-Ah!" Sakura laughed lightly, releasing her daughter immediately. "I couldn't help it."

"Of course you couldn't." Sarada sighed, catching her breath. "But don't worry… I'll come back safe." She smiled reassuringly, her eyes then darting over to Sasuke who motioned her over.

Smile remaining plastered on her face, Sarada's arms spread wide as she approached her father who she had expected to give her a hug like how her mother did. Except, he didn't; instead, he poked her on her forehead when she got close enough, before she had a chance to embrace him.

"H-Hey!" Sarada stammered, having been caught off guard. "That's the second time today… and in front of—"

She was interrupted by the embrace her father pulled her into, "I couldn't help it." He mimicked Sakura, who resisted a chuckle.

"Come on…the both of you…" She pouted quietly, and while she was frustrated at how her father teased her like that, her arms still wrapped around him.

 _Sasuke…Sasuke-san can joke?!_ Boruto held back a gasp, not wanting to ruin the little Uchiha family moment they had. _That aside… I wonder what's with that forehead poke thing…_ He wondered, shaking the thought away soon after, figuring it was an Uchiha thing that an Uzumaki like him would probably never understand completely, much less experience, right?

"Well then, we'll be off." Kakashi said when Sasuke had finally let go of Sarada. "It's going to be a long journey."

With that, along with another round of waves, well wishes and goodbyes, Kakashi and Sarada departed for their mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, I made some changes; mostly due to my poor memory and fault on my part. Basically, the gist is my dumb-self had forgotten/was unaware that you needed two tomoes for Chidori to work completely. My apologies, please don't bash me too much haha. It's been a while since I last watched/read Naruto, and when I did, I binged it like mad so the memory's a bit fuzzy here and there… so clearly, I really need to brush up haha. (Is it strange I have more motivation to brush up on my Naruto lore knowledge than do homework? LOL;; anyway,)
> 
> As a result, I ultimately decided to fix this mistake by changing Sasuke's reaction slightly upon finding out Sarada had learned Chidori in the chapter 6 to something more shocked. A part of me did think about re-doing the two previous chapters. However, I don't have time on my side… so once again, I'm sorry if things are messy. If you have any questions about this, comment below and I'll respond. I don't wish to make A/N any longer than it already is.
> 
> Secondly, I'd like to apologise for the late update. I got distracted, then demotivated, then distracted again ahah… I'm sorry haha T-T. It's been a while since I finished writing something, so I hope my writing quality didn't worsen overtime from its already bad quality HAHA.
> 
> Thirdly, that aside, starting next year I don't really know what the updating schedule for this fic will be like. Originally, I wanted one chapter a month. However, seeing how messy this year was for me (and everyone practically) and how next year I'm going to be busier due to academics… I don't know if I'll have the time since I have two other fics and a tumblr to run lol. Regardless, I'll try my best to update this when I can, I really want to finish all my fics… I don't really want to leave them unfinished / discontinued ;-;. However, do note that if I feel no one's reading a fic anymore, I'll most likely not prioritise it as high as other ongoing fics. I'll still finish it hopefully, but not as fast. I hope y'all will stay haha.
> 
> Lastly, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. They finally departed on their mission haha;; details of it will be further revealed in next chapter. And who knows? Maybe somewhere along the mission, Sarada will have a brief meeting with someone troublesome? Hoho. That aside, hoped I portrayed Gai's and Kakashi's friendship alright!
> 
> Thank you for reading, and leaving reviews, comments and kudos; they are always appreciated. So, please leave a review! Constructive criticism is welcomed.
> 
> f you wish to contact me personally or to check if I'm still alive and active haha, my tumblrs are: [snkwritings](https://snkwritings.tumblr.com/) and [rosaline-kei](https://rosaline-kei.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so, this is my first time writing a Boruto fanfiction. I really love Sarada as a character, and I like the idea where Kakashi trains Sarada. Thus, I wrote this haha. However, the thing is I watched Boruto before actually watching Naruto (I mean, aside from the few episodes I watched on Tv when I was a kid, but I didn't really watch it chronologically lol). For a long time, I did want to watch Naruto, but never got around to it because of the many, many episodes. But I did so woohoo.
> 
> So, I just want to say my Naruto knowledge about its lore and world-building may be weak. Thus, if I make any mistakes writing about the Jutsus or even personalities about the characters, please tell me! To be honest, I've been afraid of actually writing anything Boruto or Naruto related because I'm pretty much scared for getting bashed by people if I get anything mistakenly wrong. So, haha GG to me.
> 
> Please leave a review! I'd love to hear your thoughts and constructive criticism too!


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